JetHawks fail their Orel exam

San Bernardino handed Lancaster its third straight loss behind the pitching of Orel Hershiser to force a tie with the JetHawks atop the standings.

By BRETT PAPE
Valley Press Staff Writer

Orel Hershiser, who volunteered to be demoted to Class-A San Bernardino to get more work, pitched six innings of four-hit ball against the JetHawks Tuesday night in front of 3,853 fans at The Ranch.

As good as Hershiser was, he still left in the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 1-0. However, the Stampede scored a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to take a 2-1 win over the JetHawks.

The loss was the third straight for the JetHawks and dropped them into a first-place tie in the South Division with the Stampede with identical 30-22 records. The three-game losing streak is the longest of the season and the third time they have dropped three consecutive games in 2000.

"If the guys were feeling the pressure of leading in the standings, they don't have to worry about it now," a frustrated Parent said. "We are looking at it from a different seat now. We now have to do the chasing."

Thanks to a two-base error by the Stampede's Lamont Mathews, Corey Freeman gave the JetHawks a 1-0 lead when he scored on Terrmel Sledge's single. Sledge hit a line drive in front of Matthews who had trouble handling the ball, allowing Freeman to score from first.

The run was the only offense Lancaster could muster. It is the second consecutive game the JetHawks have been limited to one run in a game.

Before Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Stampede, Lancaster had scored two or more runs in every game in 2000.

"(Orel) threw pretty good to me," Parent said of the 1988 Cy Young winner. "I am really frustrated with the lack of execution on offense. I have told the guys all year that if we can't do the little things, then we are going to lose."

As strong as Hershiser was, Lancaster's Enmanuel Ulloa was equally impressive. The righthander had six strikeouts in the first five innings before making his only mistake in the sixth.

After getting Michael Collins to fly out to P.J. Williams in center, Ulloa gave up a solo home run to leadoff batter Joe Thurston to tie the game at 1-1 after six innings. The homer was the first of the year for the light-hitting Thurston.

The Stampede scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Jesus Feliciano scored from second when Craig Kuzmic was unable to catch John Hernandez's fly ball at first. Hernandez was thrown out on the play trying to advance to second.

Bo Robinson, who had a 16game hitting streak snapped Sunday against the Stampede, had his second consecutive 0-for-4 outing.

"Right now, we are struggling as a team at the plate," Robinson said. "Our pitchers are doing their job, but the hitters are not right now."

Uploaded May 31, 2000