Oaks fall on top of JetHawks' parade

First loss upsets skipper

By JON MICHAELS
Valley Press Staff Writer

The visiting Visalia Oaks opted for sooner, scoring early and holding on for a 9-2 victory over an uninspired Lancaster JetHawks team in front of 2,018 at the Hangar on Monday night.

"It was a total lack of discipline and a total lack of focus," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "It's very important to me the way we handle our business, day in and day out. It's a grind. You have to stay focused.

"If you can't do it here, you can't do it in the big leagues. It starts in the dugout, in the clubhouse. Horse-playing all the time. This isn't Gymboree."

The loss was the first of the second half in five attempts for Lancaster, after winning the first-half title and automatically qualifying for the postseason.

With the victory, Visalia also spoiled the Lancaster debut of Caleb Balbuena, who was called up from Class-A Wisconsin to fill the roster spot of Josue Matos, who was promoted earlier in the week.

Balbuena, who went 5-3 with a 3.34 ERA for the Timber Rattlers, was in trouble early for Lancaster, something the team has been growing accustomed to over the past three games.

Balbuena kept up the recent trend, walking leadoff batter Estaban German and one out later, giving up a two-run homer to Josh Hochgesang. It was Hochgesang's 11th of season, but his first since May 10.

Over the past three games, the JetHawks have given up eight first-inning runs.

Lancaster sliced the deficit in half in the third inning, with Willie Bloomquist once again doing the damage.

With one out, P.J. Williams drew a walk from Visalia starter Jeff Schultz. Bloomquist, who leads the Cal League with a .372 average, then smacked the first of his two consecutive doubles, scoring Williams.

Bloomquist extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

The Oaks extended their lead in the fourth on Javier Flores' RBI single.

Visalia brought an early end to Balbuena's evening in the next inning, scoring two runs on three walks and a sacrifice fly to take a 5-1 lead.

Balbuena, a California native, went 4 innings in his debut, giving up five earned runs on four hits and added four walks. He struck out one batter.

"He had his folks here. He's in Lancaster for the first time. He was nervous," Parent said. "I liked his stuff. I trust his stuff."

Visalia used its considerable team speed all night. The fleetfooted Oaks stole eight bases. Five times, a player who stole a base came home to score.

Reliever Cody Morrison and catcher Scott Maynard got an upclose look at the speed in the seventh inning.

German started the inning with a single and quickly made his move. But German wasn't satisfied with his theft of second base. He quickly burned the JetHawks' battery for his fourth steal of the night.

Hochgesang knocked in German with a single to left for a 6-2 lead. Following suit, the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder stole Visalia's eighth base of the game.

"We were making no adjustments as far as holding the ball, double looking, taking too much time," Parent said. "Mayo threw the ball good. He rushed at the end. He probably threw as much as some of our pitchers tonight."

But the Oaks proved they can do it with power as well.

Visalia capped the evening with three runs in the ninth inning, highlighted by back-to-back tapemeasure home runs from Omar Rasario and Matt Howe off Lancaster reliever Neil Longo.

The loss snapped Lancaster's five-game winning streak, carried over from the final game of the first half.

With a win tonight, the JetHawks can tie a franchise mark for wins in June. Twice before, in 1996 and 1998, Lancaster has won 15 games in the month. The JetHawks are currently 14-9 this month with four games left.

The best ever month in JetHawks history was August of 1998, when the team recorded a 19-9 mark.

Uploaded June 27, 2000