JetHawks follow big win with letdown

Kirk Asche hit a solo homer off Lancaster reliever Kenny Rayborn in the seventh inning as Visalia beat the JetHawks.

By CHAD HOLCOMB
Valley Press Staff Writer

And the Lancaster JetHawks know just as much as any other team in the Cal League that last night was last night.

For the second time this season, the JetHawks followed a highly productive night with a lesser one, losing to the Visalia Oaks 5-4 at The Hangar on Monday night.

Lancaster, which put up 18 runs in the first two innings against Visalia on Sunday afternoon, managed just nine hits and stranded 11 runners.

"We wanted to come out and do it again," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "We may have swung at some bad pitches tonight. We just got beat.

"When it comes to games like this, we have to put the ball in play. When we're in the box, we have to know what the situation, and what needs to be done."

The last productive outing for the JetHawks was a 17-10 win over the Mudville Nine on April 13. Lancaster followed that with a 3-2 loss the following day.

Lancaster reliever Kenny Rayborn let one pitch get away from him in the seventh inning.

Rayborn, who had retired eight consecutive batters, left one out over the plate for Kirk Asche, who hit it over the center-field fence for the game-winner.

"Rayborn pitched way over his limit; he sucked it up and gave us plenty of chances to win,." added Parent.

Terrmel Sledge opened the Lancaster ninth with a double, the JetHawks sole extra-base hit after 11 on Sunday.

Juan Silvestre followed with a called third strike and Craig Kuzmic flew out to a diving Hipolito Martinez in right field.

Bo Robinson then flew out to deep left for the game's final out.

Lancaster pulled within 5-4 in the seventh after Robinson hit a two-out single off Visalia reliever Claudio Galva to score Willie Bloomquist and Sledge.

Bloomquist opened the inning with his second hit of the night, extending his hitting streak to seven games. Sledge walked
before Silvestre grounded out and Kuzmic struck out.

Robinson, who drove in six runs Sunday, welcomed the left-handed Galva with a leadoff single in the sixth. After advancing on a wild pitch, Scott Maynard singled in Robinson.

Galva settled down and struck out Mike Abate and Robert Gandolfo to get out of the inning.

Visalia picked up runs in the second, third and fourth innings to open up a 4-1 lead.

The Oaks' Matt Howe singled in Omar Rosario, who walked to leadoff. Josh Hochgesang, who was hit by a pitch, scored on an error by Robinson.

Martinez homered for the second consecutive game to leadoff the third for Visalia.

With two outs in the fourth, Michael Wenner singled and reached second on a balk by Lancaster starter Melqui Torres. Jay Pecci singled him in.

Lancaster's Torres allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in four innings of work. Torres also struck out four.

Robinson finished 3-for-4 with two RBI. Robinson has seven hits in the series with Visalia. Robinson, who doubled his RBI total Sunday, now has 14 on the season.

Uploaded April 25, 2000