'Hawks keep streak alive

Harvey Hardgrove drove in four runs and Lancaster scored five runs in the seventh inning to improve to 4-1 on the season

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Reliever Mark Seaver looked like a mess.

Seaver gave up eight runs in two innings as the Lancaster JetHawks cruised to a 10-6 win Monday night over the A's in front of 883 fans at John Thurman Field.

Second baseman Willie Bloomquist started the onslaught with an infield single deep behind third base to leadoff the sixth.

"I just want to do whatever I can to get things going out there," Bloomquist said. He finished the night 4-for-5 - all singles.

Juan Silvestre followed with a single, and two batters later Craig Kuzmic drove the pair in on a single to right-center.

Kuzmic later scored on a single from right fielder Harvey Hargrove.

"Ten runs and 17 hits, that's the way we play," Kuzmic said. "We're a big hitting team. . . and we're looking to be real good this year."

In the sixth, both Hargrove and Bo Robinson were cut down at home being waved in by manager Mark Parent to cut the rally short.

"For a while there, I was Modesto's best player," Parent said. "I think I was just being over-aggressive, and I'm still getting to know my players and the players around the league."

In the seventh, P.J. Williams and Antonio Perez led off with back-to-back bunt singles. Bloomquist then flew out for the innings' first out.

First baseman Peanut Williams followed with a would-be inningending double play. But Modesto first baseman Sosa dropped the relay throw thereby extending the inning.

After a double from Kuzmic and a walk from Bo Robinson loaded the bases, Hargrove cleared them with a double to left.

"I really feel that (positions) one through nine is a tough outing in our lineup," Robinson said. "On any given night we could come out like this.

"Everybody on this team can drive in runs, so if we get on base we're probably coming in to score."

Seaver's ERA ballooned from 2.25 to 13.50 while earning the loss.

"The guys played real well," Parent said. "They played good defense and ran the bases well.

"Like I said, the only problem was the third-base coach."

The JetHawks took an early 1-0 lead in the first as Craig Kuzmic drove in Juan Silvestre with a single to left field. Kuzmic finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs batted in.

"I felt very good today," Kuzmic said. "I'm starting to drive the ball the other way and that's what I like to do."

Modesto, however, bounced back in the second when center fielder Ryan Ludwick scored on a single from designated hitter Brain Luderer to knot the game at 1-1.

After giving up the early run, Lehr settled down to face just 13 batters over the next four innings. Lehr finished with eight strikeouts.

"We let (Lehr) get away with some stuff early and then he got into a groove," Parent said.

Lancaster starter Enmanuel Ulloa was chased in the fifth inning after giving up a single to a Caonabo Cosme and a walk to Mike Lockwood.

Kenny Rayborn relived Ulloa with one out in the fifth and finished the inning by getting Nick Sosa to fly out and Ludwick to groundout. Rayborn retired the first eight batters he faced en route to earning the win.

"The biggest inning for any pitcher is right after your team scores," Parent said. "Rayborn did that for us tonight."

"It got to the level that we didn't care if he gave up a couple of runs. We wanted to challenge him more."

In the eighth, Modesto used a leadoff walk and a double from Sosa to close the game to 10-6 with a pair of runs.

Rayborn worked his way out of the inning without any further damage and left-hander Denny McDaniel closed the game out in the ninth.

Uploaded April 11, 2000