Quartz Hill Picks Off Hart, 5-3 : Baseball: Concerned with baserunners, Graves grooves one to Smith for a double.

The pickoff move by Hart High pitcher Bobby Graves was too good for his own good in the Indians’ 5-3 loss to Quartz Hill on Friday in the first round of the Southern Section Division III playoffs at Hart.

The 5-foot-7 sophomore left-hander sent Quartz Hill into near-paranoia when he caught baserunner Paul Leth flatfooted and picked him off first base after entering the game in the top of the sixth with Hart leading, 3-2.

But in the seventh, Graves became overly concerned with nailing baserunners. With one out, pinch-hitter Todd Rethwisch beat out an infield single and Graves threw three pitches in the dirt to David Fischenich, the third a wild pitch that allowed Rethwisch to take second.

Fischenich was intentionally walked to set up a double play or pickoff.

However, two pickoff attempts didn’t work because Fischenich refused to budge more than a foot from the bag.

Graves finally fed J.D. Smith a fastball and the Quartz Hill catcher drilled a double to left-center to score Rethwisch.

“We were worried when we saw the sixth-inning pickoff,” said Smith, who entered the game batting .418. “But he seemed worried about the baserunners. I was just waiting for a fastball because he had to throw one over eventually.”

Graves was replaced by Luis Sanchez, who retired Kyle Goss on a ground ball that scored Fischenich with the go-ahead run.

The Indians intentionally walked Darrell Hussman to pitch to Matt Wilson, even though Wilson already had three hits.

He made it four with a single that drove in Smith with the final run.

“I thought it was a little strange that they wanted to pitch to me but I’ll take another at-bat any time,” Wilson said.

The Rebels will play Santa Margarita, a 10-1 winner over Mayfair, in the second round Tuesday.

Hart (19-8) seemingly took control of the game when Brian Baron drilled a two-run double to left field off Hussman to give the Indians a 3-2 lead in the fifth.

The Rebels had taken a 2-1 lead in the third after consecutive doubles by Hussman and Wilson but starter Chris Baker shut down Quartz Hill over the next three innings, allowing only two more baserunners before being pulled after walking Leth with two out in the sixth.

After a skittish first inning, which included a wild pitch and a passed ball, Hussman (9-1) settled down, giving up four hits and three walks and striking out 10.