Lancaster doesn't waste opportunity

Lancaster scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally for victory over High Desert

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Down by one at the time, there's a good chance more than a few JetHawks heard the announcement as well and didn't want to squander a golden opportunity.

Lancaster came out with four runs in the bottom of the seventh on its way to a 9-6 win over the Mavericks.

The win cuts the JetHawks' magic number for a first half title to two, after San Bernardino (37-30) failed to keep pace, losing to Mudville 5-3 on Thursday.

"Every game at this point is big," Lancaster's Willie Bloomquist said. "But especially when we had heard that San Bernardino had lost, we had to pick up a win any way we could.

"I knew that as long as we were close, we would come away with the win."

First baseman Craig Kuzmic opened up the seventh with a single to right, his third of the game, and scored four batters later on a sacrifice fly to left by shortstop Antonio Perez, to tie the game at 6-6.

Bloomquist and right fielder Terrmel Sledge followed with back-to-back run-scoring singles to open the game up for the JetHawks (39-28).

On Sledge's single, Bloomquist came in to score from first base after center fielder Jaime Sykes bobbled the ball on the play.

"Bloomquist makes it easy on me as a third base coach," JetHawks manager Mark Parent said. "You know he's going all out around those bases."

Bloomquist was a little less sure of the play at the time.

"I figured it was going to be a close play at third," Bloomquist said. "But when he sent me home, I didn't slow down and trusted his judgment."

Lancaster starter Enmanuel Ulloa never seemed to get his footing on the hill Thursday.

Ulloa finally fell apart in the fifth. The Stampede plated four runs in the inning, led by a threerun homer from Sykes, his first long ball in 15 games this year.

All told, Ulloa gave up three homers on the night, also surrendering solo home runs to Travis Oglesby and Brian Gordon.

The 10 home runs Ulloa has given up this year are tops in the Cal League, but entering Thursday's game, Ulloa found himself 10th in earned run average in the league at 3.30.

He was relieved by Cody Morrison to start the sixth, as Morrison found himself in the very familiar spot of long relief.

Morrison (6-3) tossed a scoreless 2 innings, leaving as the pitcher of record for Lancaster.

"That's tough for Manny," Morrison said. "Those balls don't go out of most of the parks in the Cal League.

"Anything can happen here, that's why it's so important for the bullpen to come in and buckle down."

Morrison gave way to Allan Simpson, who got the final four outs of the game, to earn his third save of the year.

"It's definitely a big win," Simpson said. "I think everybody stepped up, to take advantage (of the Stampede's loss). I'm glad we were able to come in and get the job done."

The JetHawks found their early offense in some light hitting spots as the heart of the order was silent for the first part of the game.

Through the first six innings, the two, three, four and five spots were a combined 0-for-12 with seven walks.

Center fielder P.J. Williams, batting ninth, knocked in a pair of runs and Perez, hitting in the leadoff spot, brought in three on the night.

Perez's came in the form of a solo home run to right-center in the fourth and a run-scoring double in the second and the sacrifice fly to that scored Kuzmic.

In his last at-bat of the game, third baseman Bo Robinson extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double to right in the eighth.

Uploaded June 16, 2000