Quartz Hill Takes Advantage of Porous Panorama City, 5-3

Panorama City left-hander Sean Henson’s pickoff move to first base is as good as or better than any District 20 pitcher’s. Time and time again, he has hung some poor guy out to dry at first.

Too bad his fielders sometimes leave him hangin’, too.

Henson’s pickoff move, which should have been his saving grace, was again his curse on Tuesday as Quartz Hill defeated Panorama City, 5-3, in a first-round game of the American Legion district playoffs at Birmingham High.

Panorama City (18-6) plays Lancaster at 4:15 p.m. today at Pierce College in an elimination game. Quartz Hill (19-5) plays Woodland Hills West on Thursday at 4:15 at Pierce.

Henson, who was saddled with the loss in Sunday’s district all-star game when his first baseman failed to snare what seemed to be a

catchable ball, setting up the winning run, was again done in by developments at the not-so-hot corner.

Trailing, 2-0, Quartz Hill scored four times in the second inning to take the lead for good. Only two runs were earned.

After Jim Weese led off the second with a solo home run to left, things went crazy on the basepaths. Roy Brown followed the home run with a walk and was picked off by Henson. But shortstop John Langley dropped first baseman Roland De La Maza’s throw to second for an error. Brown then stole third.

Andre Matalon drew a walk and moved to second when Henson’s pickoff throw to De La Maza skipped by first.

Brown scored to tie the game, 2-2.

Henson drew the error on the play.

Robbie Keller’s double to left drove in Matalon, and Keller moved to third on a ground out. David Haney gave Quartz Hill a 4-2 lead with a blooper to right and--don’t fall out of your chair--was picked off first to end the inning.

Henson (3-2) also picked a runner off first base in the first, but Panorama City blew the rundown. In the sixth, Henson picked Kevin Claytor off first, but De La Maza threw the ball into left field for an error and Claytor scored on Brian Lovelace’s infield single for a 5-2 lead.

Quartz Hill right-hander Tim Salado (7-0) allowed one earned run on eight hits, struck out 10 and walked four.

Panorama City scored twice in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. With one out, Langley reached base on Lovelace’s throwing error and moved to second on Brent Polacheck’s single to center. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch.

Josh Smith then delivered a single to left to score both runners.