Early trio of homers lifts Oaks

Josue Matos surrendered three early home runs as Lancaster lost two of three to visiting Visalia

By Ed Harbour
Valley Press Staff Writer

On another wind-blown night at Lancaster Municipal Stadium that time finally had come.

Matos surrendered four home runs Tuesday to Visalia as the Oaks topped the JetHawks 12-4 in front of 1,960 at the Hangar to take two of three games in the series.

After their quick 9-2 start the JetHawks have gone 3-6 in their last nine games and now hold a slim one game lead over Lake Elsinore, which beat High Desert 10-5.

"We were pretty horrible out there," JetHawks manager Mark Parent said. "Sometimes when you're not the first-place team, you want it more."

Visalia collected 14 hits on Tuesday as all nine starters had hit.

Oaks left fielder Kirk Asche tagged Matos for two-run homers in the third and fifth innings, the second of which chased Matos from the game.

Visalia's Hipolito Martinez immediately followed Asche in the third with his second solo shot in as many games. It also was his fourth extra-base hit of the series (2 HR, triple, double).

Josh Hochgesang got the home run derby started for the Oaks with a solo shot to dead center to leadoff the second.

Asche's second homer was set up after catcher Travis McClendon and third baseman Bo Robinson couldn't pick up a foul ball from Asche.

The ball ended up falling between third and home, giving Asche his swing at home run No. 2.

Left-hander Julio Ayala relieved Matos midway through the fifth. Ayala faced three batters in the fifth to record the final two outs, but struggled through a tough sixth.

In the sixth, Ayala gave up two two-run singles and four runs while hitting a pair of batters in the inning.

That inning gave the Oaks a 10-4 lead, helping to push the game out of reach.

Aaron Looper came in to relieve Ayala in the sixth to stop the bleeding. He did that, but still managed to give up two more runs in the seventh. Hochgesang led off both the sixth and seventh innings with infield singles to get the Oaks' rallies going.

Lancaster right fielder Terrmel Sledge had the breakout game he had been waiting for, since being called up from Wisconsin.

After trudging through a so-so eight games as a replacement for P.J. Williams, Sledge hit his first home run as a JetHawk, a two-run first inning blast off of Visalia starter Jeff Schultz.

He followed that up with a runscoring double in the third.

"It doesn't matter if I hit three home runs," Sledge said. "If we lose it doesn't make me feel any better.

"Hopefully we can get back on track."

Shortstop Robert Gandolfo, filling in for Antonio Perez (bruised right hand), started the third off with a walk. He also collected a pair of singles on the night.

Second baseman Willie Bloomquist followed with a walk of his own to give Sledge two men on with no outs.

After his double brought in Gandolfo and moved Bloomquist to third, Silvestre knocked Bloomquist in with a sacrifice fly to right. That gave Silvestre's his 27th RBI of the year, tops in the Cal League.

McClendon took advantage of his sparse playing time at the plate with a double in the second, literally off of first base.

The JetHawks managed to squander a leadoff single from Robinson in the fourth and a twoout rally in the sixth, not plating a run in either inning.

In the sixth, Harvey Hargrove hit a ball that Asche couldn't handle. Hargrove's drive fell in for a double, advancing Robinson to third.

But McClendon grounded out to Jensen to end the inning.

Uploaded April 26, 2000