Errors plague 'Hawks

Three errors and an extra base hit helped Mudville knock off Lancaster.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

When a top pitching team (Lancaster 4.05 ERA, 21-13) rolls out against a struggling one (Mudville 4.84, 14-20), same scenario.

But three errors and one extrabase hit came back to kill the JetHawks on Thursday night in a 4-3 loss to the Nine before a crowd of 507 at Billy Hebert Field.

A pair of errors by reliever Allan Simpson in the bottom of the ninth scored Jeff Deardorff from second base with the winning run.

Deardorff led off the inning with a double off the right-field wall. Nick Caiazzo followed with what looked like a sure single between first and second.

First baseman Craig Kuzmic made a diving save and fed the ball to Simpson at first. But Simpson couldn't handle the throw. After picking it up he fired home in an attempt to get Deardorff.

The throw sailed wide and Deardorff, who was not heading home on the play, trotted in for the winning run.

Lancaster tagged Mudville pitching for 12 hits, but failed to hit a home run. Eleven singles and a triple by Terrmel Sledge in the seventh inning, helped Lancaster tally their three runs.

Conversely, the Nine scored four on five hits.

"We're just taking too many good pitches with men in scoring position," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "That's been our most consistent problem all year."

In the seventh, the JetHawks were ready to add a couple more runs to the scoreboard after Harvey Hargrove doubled down the left-field line and moved to third on an error by left fielder Jon Macalutas.

But Mudville appealed that Hargrove had missed first base and he was called out, nullifying the hit and the error.

Hargrove again had an opportunity to give Lancaster a lead in the top of the ninth. During his at-bat, catcher Travis McClendon was caught leaning off third base for the final out.

Lancaster starter Josue Matos baffled the Mudville lineup through seven innings, giving up three runs, one earned, on four hits.

"Matos threw a (great) game," Parent said. "I wanted to leave him in just to see if we could get him a lead and win the game for him."

Matos retired the first 13 batters he faced but did not finish in the decision.

Simpson (2-1) relieved Matos in the eighth with the score tied at 3-3.

With various position players hampered by a multitude of injuries, the Lancaster pitching staff has somehow staved off the injury bug.

"'I don't know if I should talk about this," Lancaster pitching coach Scott Budner said. "But knock on wood, the staff's been really healthy."

The Nine managed to score without any help from the one, two and three spots in their lineup.

The top of Mudville's order went down in order in four innings on Thursday - the first, fourth, sixth and eighth - and finished a combined 0-for-12.

Uploaded May 12, 2000