JetHawks take what Mavs give

High Desert allowed seven unearned runs in the second inning as Lancaster cruised to an easy win

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

No such luck for the cellardwelling Mavericks.

The JetHawks came out bats-ablazing to beat High Desert 14-5 in front of a packed crowd of 4,622 at Mavericks Stadium.

Lancaster upped its record to 39-6 when the club scores more than five runs this year.

"Again, we were able to take advantage of what they gave us," JetHawks manager Mark Parent said. "It's never pretty like that, but we got the job done."

Once again, though, the young and suspect Maverick defense helped out Lancaster (49-33, 9-3) in the run column.

In the second inning, three errors by the middle infield contributed to seven unearned runs in the inning off High Desert (27-55, 4-8) starter Hatuey Mendoza (5-6).

In the inning, Terrmel Sledge drove in two runs on an oppositefield double to left. Left fielder Juan Silvestre brought in Sledge and himself on a towering home run, also to left.

For Silvestre, the bomb was his league-leading 20th of the season and gave him a three-game home run streak.

He also pushed his league-high RBI total to 84 with the home run and a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

After Lancaster starter Jeff Heaverlo (7-4) retired the side in order in the bottom half of the second inning, the JetHawks struck for five more in the top of the third.

Peanut Williams got his second hit of the game and drove in Bo Robinson. Harvey Hargrove added a two-run double as Lancaster took a 12-1 lead, providing plenty of cushion for Heaverlo to work with.

For Williams, the hits were his first since he returned to the team after a six-week layoff following elbow surgery.

"It was exactly what I was looking for," Williams said. "I just wanted to get back in the swing of things and that's exactly what I needed to do that."

After the third, the JetHawks' offense cooled down considerably, scoring two more runs in the remaining six innings.

In the fourth inning, Freddie May launched a two-out solo home run to right, giving Lancaster a 13-1 lead with Silvestre's sacrifice fly in the seventh rounding out the scoring for the JetHawks. May finished 2-for-4, scoring four times and driving in two runs.

Heaverlo looked solid through four, giving up one run on a runscoring single by catcher Brad Cresse in the first.

In the fifth inning, the Mavericks got to Heaverlo for three runs on three hits, including a two-run triple by outfielder Cedric Harris.

Heaverlo finished his outing after seven innings. He gave up five runs, all earned, with six strikeouts and one walk.

"I'm OK with the runs Jeff gave up," Parent said. "He gave up those runs being aggressive and going after guys with a lead behind him. I can live with that."

He gave way to Omar Obando in the eighth who, despite surrendering a one-out double to first baseman Steve Neal, threw a scoreless inning.

Allan Simpson was called upon to get the final three outs and did just that, retiring the side in order.

Second baseman Willie Bloomquist entered Monday's game with a franchise record 16-game hitting streak. Bloomquist finished the evening 0-for-6, unable to extend the streak.

Uploaded July 4, 2000