JetHawks can't finish the deal

With a chance to clinch the Cal League South Division first-half title, the Lancaster JetHawks were beaten in one-sided game at The Hangar.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

As San Bernardino broke a three-game losing streak with a win over San Jose, Lancaster was left to clinch the outright first half Cal League South on its own.

After falling behind 17-2 through eight innings at the hands of Lake Elsinore on Saturday at Lancaster Municipal Stadium before a crowd of 4,047, the JetHawks appear to be on their way to a two-game losing streak. Lancaster must now take their playoff dreams into the final day of the first half.

The loss would mean that the JetHawks magic number to clinch the first half remains at one. With one game remaining in the first half, Lancaster holds a one-game lead over the Stampede in the South Division.

If Lancaster is able to beat the Storm today they would wrap-up a first-round bye in the playoffs in September. If the JetHawks lose on Sunday and San Bernardino wins, the two clubs would square off in a one game playoff, reportedly on July 12, to determine the first-half champion.

Heading into the weekend series with Lake Elsinore, the JetHawks had taken five of the first seven games between the two teams.

In his 14th start of the year, Chris Mears could not get the job done. He was pulled after three innings of work.

Mears gave up four runs, all earned, before being pulled in the fourth inning.

The newest JetHawks, Omar Obando, relieved him but fared no better.

Obando gave up a two-run homer to Gary Johnson in the fifth, giving the Storm a 6-0 lead.

Johnson's home run landed beyond the maintenance shed in right field, well over 400 feet from home plate.

In the bottom of the sixth, down 7-0, the JetHawks finally got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Shortstop Antonio Perez led off the inning with a single and came in to score on a double to left by Terrmel Sledge.

Sledge would also come across to score, when Juan Silvestre lined a pitch up the middle from Storm starter Brandon Emanuel.

After cutting the lead to five, the JetHawks saw a sliver of a comeback in their sights that lasted until the next half inning.

In the top of the seventh, Lake Elsinore tagged JetHawk pitching for six runs on five hits, to take a commanding 13-2 lead.

The Storm also got to reliever Neil Longo in the eighth for four more runs and began to run away with the game, with a 15-run lead.

Uploaded June 19, 2000