Hart’s Relay Squad of 4 Pitchers Outlasts Top-Seeded Buena, 10-7

Not one to buck a trend, Bud Murray, Hart High’s baseball coach, recently followed the lead of his players and had a “30”--his uniform number--carved into the back of his neatly cropped coiffure.

Vanity be damned--these are the Southern Section playoffs. And that’s an attitude the Hart pitching staff seems to share with its coach.

The Indians used four pitchers--one of which was pulled, re-entered and pulled again--to topple top-seeded Buena, 10-7, in a 4-A Division quarterfinal game Friday at Hart.

As a result, Hart (22-6) has advanced to the semifinal round, further than any team Murray has coached in 17 seasons. Tuesday, the Indians will play South Hills, a 6-4 winner over Mission Viejo.

“We’re as good as anyone,” Murray said. “We just don’t have all that pitching.”

Hart, which gave up eight hits and seven walks, might not have had much pitching against Buena, but it had no shortage of willing pitchers. Second baseman Darin Tsukashima and junior Kevin Foderaro, who previously had 10 innings of varsity experience, both saw action.

Keith Halcovich, a sophomore right-hander, started but was relieved after facing only four batters in the first, three of whom reached base on a walk, a single, and an error. Left-hander Andrew Lorraine, who pitched a complete-game victory over Walnut on Tuesday, replaced Halcovich and allowed two runs over 3 2/3 innings.

Halcovich re-entered in the fifth with Hart leading, 5-3, but his stay was even shorter--he walked the only batter he faced. Next came Tsukashima, who completed the inning but not before Buena tied the score, 5-5. After Hart scored four in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-5 lead, Foderaro finished up, allowing two runs in the sixth but striking out the side in the seventh.

Said Foderaro: “I was more pumped up, more hyped than nervous. I knew what the hitting and atmosphere was like up here on varsity.”

What the Indians lacked on the mound, they made up for at the plate. Jay Sanford had two singles and a double and drove in a run, and Casey Burrill had a hit, a sacrifice and drove in three runs to pace Hart’s nine-hit attack.

David Toledo singled, walked twice and scored three runs for Hart, which scored three in the first, two in the second, four in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Sam Arroyo (2-1), who relieved starter Matt Anderson, took the loss for Buena (20-3-2).

Much of the Bulldogs’ offense was provided by Anderson, a left-handed senior who will pitch at Cal State Northridge next season. Anderson’s performance on the mound has suffered recently, however, because of a sore elbow.

“Your arm always hurts a little more when you don’t get backed up,” said Buena Coach Stan Hedegard, whose team made four errors.

Anderson had a single and a two-run home run and scored twice. Jason Isaacs had two singles and Steve Albiston drove in two runs for Buena, which scored one in the first, and two in each of the third, fifth and sixth innings.