There's no joy in Mudville

...But there is in Lancaster, as JetHawks prevail in 9th

By EDWARD HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Another win.

It nearly feels routine after the Lancaster JetHawks won their fifth straight game, this one a 5-4 barnburner over Mudville.

The JetHawks used five scoreless innings from starter Chris Mears and three runs in the bottom of the ninth to top the Mudville Nine before 3,037 on opening night at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

Lancaster catcher Scott Maynard led off the bottom of the ninth with a seeing-eye single between third and short to get the comeback started.

Reserve outfielder Mike Abate was quickly called upon to pinch run for the slow-of-foot Maynard.

"(Manager Mark) Parent told me to stretch and run some sprints in the eighth in case Mayo got on," Abate said. "We were able to take advantage of their mistakes with some extra bases."

Two batters later Mudville intentionally walked Willie Bloomquist to load the bases for Juan Silvestre.

Silvestre took the first pitch he saw, a fastball, into left field for the game winning two-run single.

"These guys have showed a lot of guts," Parent said. "They went out there and made (stuff) happen out there tonight."

Mears accomplished what he set out to do, namely by keeping the ball in the lower half of the strike zone.

In 6 innings Mears gave up just five fly balls and allowed just three runners past first base over that time.

"I was a little out there sometimes," Mears said of his two wild pitches. "You just have to put that stuff on the back burner and go out and throw the ball."

The 2-0 lead Mears left with would not hold for him to get the decision.

In the seventh he was replaced by reliever Allan Simpson after walking Jeff Deardorff and struggling to strike out Eduardo Figueroa.

Simpson walked the first batter he faced, second baseman Chris Patton. Mudville catcher Obisbo Brito followed that with a double that scored Deardorff.

"I'm OK with Simpson's outing," Parent said. "Just as long as improves on it for the next time."

Simpson has missed the last two weeks of play due to a sore right shoulder.

Shortstop and nine hitter, Mark Ernster made Simpson's outing a short one by knocking a three-run opposite field home run to left, giving Mudville a 4-2 lead.

The JetHawks were again able to take advantage of an early baserunner and mistakes by the opponent to score early.

Center fielder P.J. Williams took a fastball between the shoulder blades to start the game and quickly stole second and third.

A wild pitch from Mudville starter Mike Penny was all it took for the speedy Williams to come home and for Lancaster to take the quick lead.

"I really like (leading off)," Williams said."It gives me a chance to steal second and get the team a run."

Lancaster shortstop Antonio Perez, acquired from Cincinnati in the Ken Griffey Jr. deal, inched out of a recent 1-for-8 slump with a leadoff double to right field in the bottom of the sixth.

Two batters later Perez came across the plate after an errant pick-off throw from Brito at third sailed into left field.

The JetHawks crawled back to 4-3 after scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth.

Left-fielder Juan Silvestre led off the inning with a single down the third-base line.

"You see what happens when we bunt and run and out pressure on the other guys," Parent said. "Our guys are just able to take advantage of it."

Silvestre stole second to set up a two-out RBI single for Bo Robinson three batters later.

Lancaster reliever Julio Ayala retired the first seven batters he faced. In 2 innings Ayala gave up two hits and no runs while striking out one to earn the win.

Uploaded April 13, 2000