Hart’s Espy, Sanchez Come of Age in 3-2 Playoff Victory

Mike Espy and Luis Sanchez probably couldn’t cultivate a face full of fuzz between them.

But Espy, 14, and Sanchez, 14, two chunky, overachieving freshmen on the Hart High baseball team, dug in and delivered Friday, leading the Indians to a 3-2 victory over visiting Glendale in a 10-inning Southern Section 5-A Division playoff opener.

Hart, ranked No. 1 in The Times’ regional poll, will play Millikan, a 2-1 winner over Crespi, in a second-round game Tuesday.

Espy (5-foot-10, 210 pounds) entered the game with only three hits in 14 at-bats. He improved on that by driving in two runs, including the game-winner with a one-out single to center field that knocked in Ted Kiester.

Sanchez (5-10, 190) pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings, escaping jams in the seventh and ninth, to boost his record to 7-0 and Hart’s to 23-2.

“I don’t know what to say,” Espy said. “My first time at bat, I had my butterflies. But you just gotta get up and take your hacks. That’s about all you can do.”

Espy broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning by doubling off the left-field fence and driving in Kiester from second. Hart added another run in the inning on an infield single by Gary Stephenson that brought home pinch-runner Daren Feeley from third.

Glendale (11-10) rallied for two runs against Stephenson in the seventh. John Lister singled to drive in Brendon Barrett from second. The Dynamiters then placed runners at first and third with one out.

Enter Sanchez, who has an earned-run average of 3.75 in 28 innings. David Sofro lofted a sacrifice fly to drive in Mark Haft, but Sanchez prevented further damage.

In the Glendale ninth, Barrett led off with a single and advanced to second when Sanchez was called for a balk.

“That bothered me a little,” Sanchez said. “But I went with it.”

Sanchez retired the next two batters then got out of the inning when center fielder Soren Halladay made a diving catch of a line drive hit by Lister.

With one out in the Hart 10th, Kiester and Alan Ray singled, setting the stage for Espy.

“He’s been hitting,” Hart Coach Bud Murray said. “But he’s been sick. He’s lost some weight.”

Glendale right-hander Jason Greenberg (7-4) went the distance, yielding 13 hits.