New-look lineup corrals Stampede

Even though Manager Mark Parent had to revamp his lineup because of promotions and injuries, Lancaster was still able to score early and outlast San Bernardino.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Without Willie Bloomquist, promoted to Class-AAA on Monday, and speedy outfielder P.J. Williams, out with a sore shoulder, Lancaster manager Mark Parent had 10 position players to use in the lineup.

He used them effectively as they battled to an 8-6 win over San Bernardino before a crowd of 2,649 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

Parent shook things up by starting Craig Kuzmic at second base, his fourth position of the year, and slipped left-handed designated hitter Freddy May in the second spot, the highest he's batted all season.

"I figured (Antonio) Perez would get on, so why save the guys who are hitting well till later," Parent said. "Besides, I'd rather have the right-handers packed in the bottom of the lineup. Freddy's been swinging the bat well and I gave him a shot."

May responded with a 2-for-5 night that included a run-scoring triple in the third. He was batting .325 with Lancaster (22-5, 62-35) this year, after a short stint with the Stampede.

"If they leave the ball over the plate," May said of his former teammates, "I'm going to bang it hard, I'm going to hit the ball. I swung at some good pitches and feel good about my night."

The offense scored runs in six innings on Wednesday and came up with hits when it needed with men on base against San Bernardino starter Rick Roberts.

Roberts was chased after five innings and four runs but escaped the loss as reliever David Meyer also gave up four runs in three innings.

Lancaster starter Jeff Heaverlo (10-4) became the first JetHawks pitcher to win 10 games after he went 7 innings.

Heaverlo was hit around, giving up six runs on 10 hits, but was helped to the win by a solid day from the offense.

LaMont Matthews was the main part of the San Bernardino offense for the better part of the game, jumping all over Heaverlo from the start. Matthews took Heaverlo deep twice with a pair of two-run home runs in the second and fourth innings.

"The first one was (iffy), off the top of the wall," Parent said of Matthews' first home run. "The second one was a $7 cab ride."

Matthews finished 2-for-3 with four RBI.

In the eighth, the Stampede tacked on two more against Heaverlo, after Joe Thurston and Jimmy Gonzalez both singled to lead off the inning.

"I left him in there to face Matthews one more time," Parent said. "He struck him out in the third atbat and I wanted him to get one more shot at him."

Heaverlo walked Matthews.

"We made some adjustments after the home run," Heaverlo said, "and yeah I walked him in the eighth, but it was a situation where I didn't want to serve him anything to hit."

Caleb Balbuena got the call to close for the second time in three nights and looked ineffective to start, no thanks to the defense.

Perez botched a play at shortstop to open the inning, allowing Hernandez to reach. Balbuena followed with a hit to Michael Collins and beaned Thurston to load the bases.

But he backed his way out by getting Gonzalez to fly out, striking out Pete Paciorek and getting a nice diving catch from Terrmel Sledge on Darron Ingram's laser to end the game.

"With so many guys in the bullpen," Parent said, "they're not always going to look sharp when we call on them. It's something we definitely need to work on."

Uploaded July 20, 2000