Lancaster falls in 10 to Visalia

Aaron Mieckula singled in Esteban German in the bottom of the 10th inning as Visalia beat Lancaster

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

And with a two-run lead through 8 1/2 innings, Lancaster nearly pulled that feat off.

Instead Visalia, also with a lone extra base hit, took a 6-5 win in 10 innings over the JetHawks before a crowd of 1,536 at Recreation Park, nearly double the average attendance of 866.

In the ninth, Visalia's Javier Flores and Aaron Nieckula hit back-to-back singles off of Lancaster closer Brandon Parker. After Flores singled, pitcher Scott Chiasson was brought in to run for the catcher.

Chiasson, though, was picked off at second for the inning's first out.

The Oaks, with a bit of help from Parker, rebounded to score two runs in the inning and knot the game at 5-5. Parker beaned back-to-back batters in the inning, helping to keep the Oaks' rally alive.

In the 10th, Nieckula singled home Esteban German for the win.

"After Brandon got that second out, he appeared to lose his mechanics," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "Closing's a tough spot for anybody. There's a lot of pressure with it, but you have to go out and compete."

Lancaster had an opportunity to tack on a sixth run of its own in the top of the ninth with catcher Travis McClendon on third with one out. But center fielder P.J. Williams struck out for the second out of the inning, stranding McClendon at third.

"That play and a couple of others probably cost us the game," Parent said. "All he had to do was make contact and he failed. He failed miserably."

The only non-single on the night for the JetHawks came when shortstop Antonio Perez continued his hot hitting with a leadoff double off of Visalia starter Wayne Nix. Perez scored the first run after Willie Bloomquist followed with a single to right for a 1-0 lead.

In the second, Lancaster strung together three singles and four runs in the inning to take a 5-1 lead.

Craig Kuzmic, Bo Robinson and Freddie May all singled to open the inning, with May's scoring Kuzmic. P.J. Williams followed two batters later with a single that scored Robinson and May scored on a groundball from Perez.

In the fourth inning, May singled to leadoff and it appeared as though the JetHawks would again get to Nix. But the next batter, McClendon, hit a line drive to left field that appeared to short hop left fielder Hipolito Martinez.

But it was ruled that Martinez had caught the ball and he easily doubled up May at first.

JetHawks starter Chris Mears was solid through five innings and left with a 5-3 lead.

"I felt real good (Thursday night)," Mears said. "That was my best outing in a while. Me and (pitching coach Scott) Budner have been working on me being more aggressive and I could feel it tonight."

Mears finished with three strikeouts and one walk, scattering seven hits for the three earned runs.

In the fifth, he gave up a runscoring triple to Angel Berroa - Oaks' only extra bagger.

Uploaded June 30, 2000