BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : Barry Pitches Santana Past San Diego, 7-3

Talk in the stands was that Santana pitcher Chad Barry was sick. And after the game, Sultan Coach Jim Saska confirmed it was stomach flu.

Barry shrugged it off as nerves.

He had an excuse for a poor performance, but he didn’t need one.

Barry pitched a two-hitter and hit a three-run triple in the bottom of the sixth Tuesday to boost Santana to a 7-3 victory over San Diego in the opening round of the San Diego Section 2-A playoffs at Santana.

Unseeded Santana will play third-seeded USDHS in the quarterfinals Thursday at USDHS.

The Sultans (17-6-1) lost in the first round the past two years, and both years Saska said he started the No. 2 pitcher, so against San Diego (17-9-1), he wasn’t going to take any chances. Saska went with senior Barry (5-2), although Saska said Barry had been sick for the past couple days.

Richard Fernandes started the sixth inning for Santana with a single, then advanced to second on a passed ball. Chris Hastings singled, and Josh Osborn, pinch-running for Hastings, stole second. John Conen walked to load the bases. Gabe Hernandez forced Fernandes at home.

Barry then tripled, breaking a 3-3 tie. And Mike Romo executed a suicide squeeze to score Barry.

“(San Diego reliever Edward Arreola) put it right down the middle,” Barry said of his triple. “It was a little bit outside but I thought I hit it hard enough.”