JetHawks' win streak reaches 13

Enmanuel Ulloa worked seven strong innings to lead Lancaster to a franchise-best 13th win in a row.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Ulloa came through with his strongest outing in over a month as the JetHawks took the first of a three-game series over Mudville, 6-2, before a crowd of 967 at Billy Hebert Field.

The victory extends Lancaster's (18-3, 58-33) franchise-best winning streak to 13 games and lifts the team at 25 games above .500 for the first time in club history.

It, however, didn;t come without a cost. Lancaster may have lost second baseman Willie Bloomquist for tonight's game.

In the bottom half of the first inning, Bloomquist was taken out at the knees by John Macalutas on a hard slide at second as Bloomquist was turning a double play. Bloomquist eventually left the game in the bottom of the third with what he described as a charley horse to his right leg.

"He's day-to-day right now," Lancaster skipper Mark Parent said. "It was a good clean slide he got caught in the middle of. I was going to sit him in San Jose for one game but since I pulled him tonight, he made me promise he'd play all three in San Jose."

In seven innings, Ulloa (7-3) scattered five hits, allowing one earned run, striking out seven and walking none as he silenced the previously hot Mudville bats.

"That was the best one in a while," Ulloa said. "My last three outings I was rushing, not getting on top of the ball but I worked on it with (pitching coach Scott) Budner.

"I feel a lot better when I throw good. I don't care if I win or lose as long as I throw good."

The win is Ulloa's third in Lancaster's 13-game wining streak.

"If you pitch bad, everyone in Seattle's going to know about it when they see the reports," Ulloa said. "But if you pitch good, they'll see those too."

Ulloa got help from the league's most potent offense as it got to Mudville (47-45, 14-8) starter Jaron Seabury early, going up 1-0 after one inning.

Bloomquist scored the run after getting a one-out walk from Seabury and scoring on a Craig Kuzmic single.

After Seabury left, before the start of the seventh, Lancaster got relievers Elvis Polanco and Brian Malette to issue five walks in the top half of the inning, scoring four runs in and boosting its lead to 6-1.

"Our guys were selective at the plate to get the walks tonight," Parent said. "You hate to see a game go that way win or lose, but we'll take it."

The seventh started with P.J. Williams leading off and reaching second on a fielding error. Williams was moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Antonio Perez.

With Robert Gandolfo - Bloomquist's replacement - at the plate, Parent called for a squeeze bunt. Gandolfo was unable to lay it down on a pitch well outside leaving Williams charging home with catcher Obispo Brito holding the ball.

Williams, though, somehow eluded Brito and the catcher dropped the ball, allowing Williams to score.

In the ninth, Lancaster reliever Caleb Balbuena walked Brito on his way to throwing a scoreless ninth for the first Lancaster walk in three games.

Uploaded July 14, 2000