Kuzmic sends game into extra innings

Lancaster rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie Rancho Cucamonga and send the game into extra innings.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Torres went seven innings against the Quakes but still left the game down by one, but the JetHawks knotted the game late and were headed for extra innings tied 2-2 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium before a crowd of 5,079.

Craig Kuzmic led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple into the right-field corner. Bo Robinson brought him in with a shallow sacrifice fly to center field, one at-bat later.

Torres got some defensive help in the fourth and fifth innings as the middle infield of Kuzmic and Antonio Perez turned double plays in each frame.

In the fourth, after a pair of walks and an error by first baseman Peanut Williams loaded the bases with one out, the JetHawks turned one of their two double plays on the night to end the inning scoreless.

Lancaster also turned two in the fifth after Jeremy Owens reached with a one-out single.

Torres has been a solid member of the rotation since he returned to the club on June 29 after a demotion to Class-A Wisconsin.

He left on May 13 with a 1-3 mark and since has posted a 4-1 record. His ERA, once teetering over six has since been brought down to 4.95.

In the top of the second, Josh Loggins tagged Torres for a oneout single and proceeded to advance to second on a balk by Torres.

Two batters later, he raced home on a single by John Adams to right field.

In the seventh, the Quakes used back-to-back singles by Darren Bush and John Adams and a little help from Lancaster outfielder Wilfredo Quintana to take the lead.

With Bush and Adams already on, Torres walked Clay Snellgrove to load the bases with one out.

The next batter, Jeremy Owens, hit a soft bloop to right that Quintana couldn't handle, allowing Bush to score and gave Quintana his second error of the inning.

The Quakes countered with Johnny Hunter on the hill to start the game.

Hunter surrendered one run through six innings and started the seventh but was pulled in favor of left-handed reliever Todd Shiyuk after giving up a leadoff single to Robinson.

The JetHawks failed to capitalize, or even advance Robinson to second for that matter, as Shiyuk struck out both Williams and Scott Maynard and Quintana took care of himself with a batter's interference call.

In the top of the eighth, Lancaster received another leadoff single when Harvey Hargrove dropped one into left field.

Hargrove advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Perez but got no farther when Freddie May and Juan Silvestre both flew out to left field.

Robinson had scored the JetHawks' only run through seven innings, back in the second, after he reached on a fielder's choice and later scored on a single by Quintana.

Uploaded August 14, 2000