SOUTHERN SECTION 3-A BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : Diving Stop Saves Game for Laguna Hills

A small hole in the left pant leg of shortstop Jason Pierson’s uniform was a small reminder of a big play in Laguna Hills’ 3-2 victory over Saddleback on Thursday in the opening round of the Southern Section 3-A division playoffs.

Pierson went far to his left, dove to stop a grounder hit by Saddleback’s Jason Arbizu and threw him out for the second out in the seventh inning. Saddleback was trailing, 3-1, and had a runner at second when Pierson made the play.

The play loomed even bigger when the next batter, Manuel Heraz, doubled to the fence in center field to score Ralph Lopez and cut Laguna Hills’ lead to 3-2. If Arbizu had been on base, he probably would have scored to tie the game.

Instead, Laguna Hills (16-10) advanced to the second round of the playoffs Tuesday against the winner of today’s game between Corona and Palm Desert.

“He (Pierson) made the big play of the game,” said losing Coach Bobby Mangram of Saddleback. “But then they made every play they needed to win the game.”

Lopez, Saddleback’s starting pitcher, had allowed only one hit through six innings when he allowed a leadoff homer by Laguna Hills catcher Matt Maffei in the top of seventh inning to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead.

Laguna Hills added an insurance run when freshman second baseman Brett Nista hit a run-scoring single off relief pitcher Carlos Cervallos to score Pierson. Laguna Hills got four of its five hits in the seventh.

Lopez had mastered Laguna Hills with an effective curveball through six innings, but two walks and a single by Maffei in the fourth inning gave Laguna Hills a 1-0 lead.

Saddleback (13-11-1) tied the score in the bottom of the fourth when right fielder David Madrid hit a towering homer into the tennis courts behind the left-field fence. But Saddleback managed only two more hits the rest of the game off winning pitcher Ted Wilkes.

“Wilkes threw strikes and let us make the plays behind him today,” said Pete Tereschuk, Laguna Hills’ coach. “Wilkes has thrown well his last couple of outings. We’ve had three or four guys pitch well lately, so everybody is going to do some pitching in the playoffs.

“I think every game is going to be like this one today. They’re all going to be close.”

Mangram pointed to Maffei’s homer in the top of the seventh and Pierson’s defensive play in the bottom of the inning as the turning points in a close game.

“That one shot (Maffei’s homer) got them going,” Mangram said.