BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: INJURIES, ILLNESS HAVEN'T SLOWED HART.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer The Hart High baseball team plays for first place in the Foothill League this week. The lineup the Indians will use to do so is far different than the one they initially envisioned for a championship season. Injuries and illness have plagued Hart, forcing it to find ways to win without some of its top players. Despite the setbacks, Hart is just a half-game behind first-place Saugus, which the Indians face today at Saugus and Friday at home. ``We're trying to hang in there,'' said Hart coach Jim Ozella, who has been revamping plans since starting pitcher Noun 1. starting pitcher - (baseball) a pitcher who starts in a baseball game baseball, baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; Tyler Lyon suffered a season-ending elbow injury during his first start. ``I'm real proud of the way the kids have battled. We're not using injuries as excuses. We're just trying to compete.'' The latest concern is the status of junior shortstop Matt Valaika. Valaika suffered a hamstring injury hamstring injury Sports medicine A muscle injury of biceps femoris, seen in sprinters and runners, when a contracted muscle meets a lengthening force, overpowering intrinsic muscle resiliency Management RICE, NSAIDs, gradual ↑ of pain-free activity–eg, while scoring from first base during a March 28 victory over West Torrance. He hasn't played since, and gave the Indians further reason to worry when he did not attend Friday's game because he was sick. ``We don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if it's mono (1) See monochrome and monophonic. (2) (Mono) An open source implementation of the .NET environment for Linux, Unix and Windows platforms, sponsored by Novell. Mono includes a C# compiler and a Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) runtime engine. or strep throat Strep Throat Definition Streptococcal sore throat, or strep throat as it is more commonly called, is an infection of the mucous membranes lining the pharynx. Sometimes the tonsils are also infected (tonsillitis). ,'' Ozella said. ``Hopefully it's just strep throat because if it's mono, he'll be out the rest of the season.'' Valaika was hitting .371, but he might be missed even more for his defense. Hart has committed 11 errors in the five games without Valaika. Third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker Shane Carlson has moved to shortstop. Andrew Briggs had been given the opportunity to fill in at third base, but suffered an arm injury. Jenzen Torres was promoted from the junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. squad last week to start at third. Senior ace Tyler Fick has also been among the injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. . Although he is scheduled to start today, he has missed recent starts because of shoulder problems that have Hart handling him cautiously and never certain if he'll be available. ``I don't think we're snake bitten or anything,'' Ozella said of the injuries. ``Things just happen. I'm not going to make any excuses.'' --Rematch: If Hart is going to move into first place this week, it has to beat a Saugus team that defeated the Indians 10-0 in the March 15 Foothill League opener. Saugus' Thomas Milone dominated at the plate and on the mound, throwing a five-hitter and hitting two home runs. The Indians haven't lost a league game since. Hart is coming off a 3-2 nine-inning victory Friday over Canyon, the only team to beat Saugus in league this season. Heather Gripp, (818)713-3607 heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com |
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