Newhall Saugus Hart Regroups to Win, 8-7

J.T. Stotts tripled home the go-ahead run and scored on Ryan Haag’s single in the seventh inning Thursday to help Newhall Saugus Hart escape with an 8-7 victory over Encino Crespi in the second round of the American Legion District 20 playoffs at Birmingham High.

Newhall Saugus Hart will play Van Nuys Notre Dame tonight at Burroughs High at 7. Encino Crespi will play Valley Chatsworth in the losers’ bracket at 4 p.m.

Stotts, who doubled, tripled and scored three runs, made up for an error that helped Encino Crespi tie the score, 6-6, in the top of the seventh.

Newhall Saugus Hart built a 6-0 lead on the strength of a five-run third inning. After Maike Granger led off with a single and Stotts walked, Haag hit a three-run home run. Haag finished with five runs batted in.

Jaime Shields (7-1), who struck out nine in seven innings, and Newhall Saugus Hart were coasting along with a 6-1 lead when Encino Crespi scored five runs in the seventh, two earned, to pull even.

Dusty Slade and Max Flaum hit run-scoring singles for Encino Crespi and two more runs scored on a throwing error by Stotts at shortstop. Tim Leveque’s run-scoring single got Encino Crespi even.

“I was disappointed with our players’ performance,” said Coach Tim O’Brien of Newhall Saugus Hart. “[Encino Crespi was] a good team and battled, but we could have played a lot better.”

Encino Crespi was playing without Coach Scott Muckey, whose father died Wednesday night. Fred Prudith, Muckey’s assistant, and Valley College Coach Chris Johnson filled in.

Jonathon Ollers had two hits and two runs for Encino Crespi.