Ulloa battles Angels ace even

Emmanuel Ulloa matched Ken Hill pitch-for-pitch as Lancaster beat Lake Elsinore.

By CHAD HOLCOMB
Valley Press Assistant Staff Writer

Either way, Lancaster starting pitcher Enmanuel Ulloa was taking full advantage of the situation, again.

For the second time in his last three starts, Ulloa took the hill opposing a major leaguer.

Ulloa, who faced the Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser on May 30, matched up against the Anaheim Angels' Ken Hill, as the JetHawks outlasted the Lake Elsinore Storm 5-3 in 13 innings in front of 6,569 fans at the Diamond.

After blowing a great no-out opportunity in the 11th, Lancaster rallied for three runs in the top of the 13th inning off Lake Elsinore reliever Jake Brooks to move into a tie for first with San Bernardino, 1-0 losers to Mudville.

Antonio Perez opened the inning with a walk and moved to second on Terrmel Sledge's groundout. Juan Silvestre, hitless in four at bats, then singled to center for the go-ahead run.

Bo Robinson followed with a single and Craig Kuzmic grounded out to short to score Silvestre. Harvey Hargrove then doubled in Robinson.

All-Star electee Brandon Parker allowed one run on two hits, a walk and an error in the 13th to pick up his league leading 16th save.

With the tying run on second, Parker struck out Richard Stuart to strike out the side to end the game.

Lancaster had a chance to end the game in the 11th with the bases loaded and no one out. Robinson popped out, Kuzmic struck out and Hargrove grounded out.

Ulloa, the JetHawks hard-luck starter this season, battled out of jam after jam Saturday night.

Lake Elsinore, in third in the Southern Division, put the lead off man on base in the first four innings as well as the sixth and seventh against Ulloa. But the righthander found ways to get out of the situation.

After Gary Johnson singled to lead off the Storm's second and reached third on a Travis McClendon throwing error, Ulloa retired the next three, two by strikeout.

In the third with one Lake Elsinore run in already, Ulloa stranded Elpidio Guzman at third striking out Brian Specht and getting Bill Mott to groundout.

In the seventh, Ulloa walked leadoff man Ariel Delgado, who advanced to third on a sacrifice and groundout back to Ulloa. Ulloa then forced Guzman into the same to get out of it.

Ulloa allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.

Hill's outing ended in the fourth inning with two runners on base. Hill allowed five hits and two runs, both unearned. The Angels opening day starter struck out three and walked one.

"I felt alright tonight," said Hill, who will make his next rehab start in Class-AAA. "It was nice to work on different scenarios.

"I didn't feel any pain. It is just a matter of building up stamina and my pitch count."

Hill suffered a strained oblique on May 20.

"You can't really set these guys up," Hill said. "I just tried to work my pitches. They are up there swinging. When they face a big leaguer, they want to hit."

For the second straight night, Lancaster jumped out to the early lead.

P.J. Williams opened the game with a bunt single past the charging Hill. Storm third baseman Mike Christensen overthrew first, putting Williams on second.

After Antonio Perez flew out to second, Terrmel Sledge singled back up the middle to score Williams.

Lake Elsinore tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the third on a oneout double by Guzman.

Lancaster took the lead back in the fourth with two outs and nobody on. After Juan Silvestre struck out and Bo Robinson flew out to center, Craig Kuzmic singled and stole second. Harve Hargrove hit an easy grounder to short, which Brian Specht threw wildly to first, scoring Kuzmic.

Lake Elsinore tied the game in the bottom of the inning. After singles by Gary Johnson and Richard Stuart, Delgado doubled in Stuart with one out. Johnson was caught stealing at third by McClendon on a double steal.

Lancaster reliever Kenny Rayborn came on in the eighth and retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth innings, including two strikeouts.

Lancaster was playing for a tie for first in the South Division after San Bernardino lost to Mudville 1-0.

Uploaded June 12, 2000