JetHawks brand Stampede with broom

Six hit batters led to a finger-pointing session in Lancaster's three-game sweep of San Bernardino.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

On Monday night, the Stampede tied a dubious Cal League record by hitting six JetHawks with pitches as Lancaster completed the series sweep with a 10-2 win before 1,735 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

The win and a rainout for Modesto and Rancho Cucamonga, gives Lancaster a 3 1/2-game lead in the Southern Division.

All the hit batsmen culminated in a finger-pointing session after the game as both teams congregated out onto the infield, but broke up quickly.

The JetHawks hit the scoreboard early with back-to-back home runs from Juan Silvestre and Bo Robinson in the third inning.

Robinson's shot won fan Johnny Johnson $10,000 as part of an instadium promotion.

"I'm not a home run hitter," Robinson said. "I remember them announcing it at the start of the inning, so that was definitely in the back of my mind.

"But you just need to go out there and concentrate on getting a hit."

Silvestre's home run, his 10th of the year, tied him for first in the league. With five runs batted in on the night, he also pushed his RBI total to 49, tops in all of minor league baseball.

With new pitcher Scott Atchison not scheduled to officially join the roster, and the rotation, until Thursday, Lancaster called upon Julio Ayala for his third start of the year on Monday night against San Bernardino.

Ayala (3-1) went the minimum five innings, giving up one run, and earned the win before being relieved by Neil Longo to start the sixth.

"I just had a bad fourth inning," Ayala said. "Overall, I had a good outing. I really tried to work the ball inside tonight.

"The guys in the field did great, swinging the bats and making the plays in the field."

In the fourth, Ayala gave up three consecutive singles to the Stampede to load the bases, but escaped unscathed by striking out John Hernandez and Jesus Feliciano to end the inning.

Ayala gave up back-to-back doubles to Lamont Matthews and Darron Ingram for the game's first run in the top of the first and didn't allow another runner to score during his stint.

"It's good for him to be out there," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "Hopefully, we can keep getting him in there with (Atchison) coming in.

"I'm sorry that he's the one that's probably going to be pushed out of the rotation, but that's what the organization wants."

The bullpen again was solid for Lancaster with Cody Morrison throwing the final two innings to earn his second save of the year.

"I think the guys in the pen are excited that one of their guys is out there starting," Parent said. "They want to do a great job for him."

Ayala missed all of 1999 after surgery to his pitching arm sidelined him for the season after spending 1998 with Lancaster, primarily as a starter.

"I just need to get some more innings on my arm to get back where I was two years ago," Ayala said. "I think these starts and the innings are helping.

"I'd like to start, but whatever I need to do to get to the big leagues, that's what I'll do."

After the early home runs, the JetHawks' offense was far from over.

The team steamrolled a pair of Stampede pitchers in the eighth for four more runs, pushing their final total to 10, the sixth time this season the JetHawks have hit double digits in the run column.

Silvestre knocked a two-run single in the inning, followed by a one-run single by Robinson. The pair combined for seven of the team's 10 runs batted in on Monday.

Uploaded May 16, 2000