JetHawks find right timing to beat Storm

Lancaster remained one game ahead of San Bernardino in the Cal League South standings by beating Lake Elsinore Monday night at The Hangar.

By CHAD HOLCOMB
Valley Press Staff Writer

Monday night against Lake Elsinore, the JetHawks chimed in at opportune times for a 7-3 win in front of 1,635 fans at The Hangar.

Lancaster, which took 2-of-3 from the Storm in Lake Elsinore this past weekend, stayed one game ahead of San Bernardino, which beat High Desert 3-2. The JetHawks, on a three-game win streak, play the Stampede tonight in the 10th and final meeting of the first half. The JetHawks have six games remaining on their firsthalf schedule.

"The guys (swung) the bats well tonight," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "We got some timely hits and ran the bases well.

"This was a real good win heading into tomorrow."

The JetHawks took advantage of a wild Brandon Emanuel, Lake Elsinore's starter, in the sixth inning.

After the Storm took a 3-2 lead in the top of the inning, Emanuel allowed three runs.

With one out, Emanuel hit Terrmel Sledge with a pitch and followed by hitting Juan Silvestre. Bo Robinson singled to load the bases.

Freddy May singled to right. Lake Elsinore first baseman Robb Quinlan took the cutoff throw and overthrew third attempting to get Robinson, who scored to give Lancaster a 5-3 lead.

Lancaster scored two more in the seventh inning.

Antonio Perez singled and stole second before Harvey Hargrove singled him in. Sledge followed with a run-scoring double, his 37th of the season.

The lead stood as Cody Morrison came on in relief of starter Chris Mears in the seventh.

Morrison pitched out of a noout, two-on jam after Mears allowed two hits.

Morrison was steady, retiring the next nine batters, including striking out three consecutive Storm hitters over the eighth and ninth innings. It was his third save this year.

"That was a big jam he got us out of," Parent said. "He pitched real well. This outing will help in the future."

Lancaster scored in the first inning for the sixth consecutive game on an RBI single by Hargrove.

The Storm took the lead back in the second with two runs, including a double by Mike Christensen.

Craig Kuzmic tied the game, 2-2, with a solo homer in the second. It was the first baseman's ninth of the season.

The Storm took a 3-2 lead with a run-scoring single by Brian Specht in the sixth.

Robinson, one of four JetHawks with two hits Monday night, improved his hitting streak to eight games. Robinson (2-4) has hit safely in 24 of the last 26 JetHawks' games.

Hargrove, Sledge and Kuzmic each had two hits.

Mears (5-3) finished allowing three runs - two earned - on eight hits in six-plus innings. He didn't strike anyone out, but had control allowing no walks.

"Mears' location was off the first few innings but he settled into a better groove," Parent said. "It wasn't his best stuff tonight, but he was still able to get by."

Uploaded June 13, 2000