Irvine Takes Ride Past No. 1 Hart

A long bus ride, a stifling hot afternoon and a playoff game against the No. 1-seeded team. It didn’t look good for Irvine . . . until the game started.

Behind the pinpoint accuracy of pitcher Derek Smith, the Vaqueros stunned Newhall Hart, 4-1, in a second-round game of the Southern Section Division II baseball playoffs Tuesday at Hart.

Irvine (20-7) scored four runs in the second inning and Smith (8-1) shut down the Indians’ vaunted attack, sending the Vaqueros into a quarterfinal game against Trabuco Hills, a 4-2 winner over Hueneme.

Smith, a senior right-hander, did not strike out a batter, gave up seven hits, walked one and forced Hart into several weak pop-ups.

“He’s not going to overpower anyone, but he’s going to mix up his spots,” said first-year Coach Rich Crowe of Irvine. “He’s been solid all year.”

Offensively, Travis Nault’s two-run double highlighted the fourth inning for the Vaqueros.