JetHawks feast on Storm's lapses

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Errors haunted Lake Elsinore in Sunday's loss to the JetHawks.

Lancaster again took advantage of the league's second-worst defense Sunday at Pete Lehr Field, utilizing a Mike Christensen throwing error to score five runs in the fourth inning, on its way to a 6-2 win before a crowd of 3,492.

With San Bernardino's 5-4 loss to Visalia Sunday, Lancaster increased its lead in the Cal League South division to 7 1/2 games.

"It seems like the past two days," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said, "we got that one big inning that put us over the top."

In the two-game home-andhome series, Lake Elsinore committed six errors.

Antonio Perez led off the fourth for Lancaster (40-17, 80-47) on Sunday with a single to left and he was followed to the plate by Freddie May.

May grounded to Christensen at third but the third baseman threw the ball over the head of first baseman Robb Quinlan, allowing Perez to advance to third and May to first.

Craig Kuzmic brought Perez in with a scoring fly ball to tie the game at 1-1.

The JetHawks had four more hits before Lake Elsinore (26-30) could get the third out and by then the damage was done.

Even still, the Storm had to get a little help from its much maligned defense to end the inning.

With two outs and catcher Scott Maynard on second, Harvey Hargrove laced a single to center that should have scored Maynard. Instead Elpidio Guzman threw a strike to home to get Maynard for the third out.

Maynard still turned the JetHawks' finest game at the plate, though, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Starter Jeff Heaverlo picked up his team-high 14th win, lasting five innings. He gave up both runs on five hits, with seven strikeouts and three walks.

"Heaverlo didn't have his best stuff, but he got through it," Parent said. "His velocity was done. He threw too many pitches."

Aaron Looper relieved Heaverlo to start the sixth and had one of his finer outings of the year.

Looper faced six men and retired them all, two by strikeout. Looper has had uneven success this year, but has gone to a more sidearm throwing motion with positive results over the past few weeks.

"With the changes him and Budner have made with his arm slot," Parent said, "he's going to be a lot better.

"He's been doing the job. That's why he's been going out there."

Looper was equally pleased with his outing and also sees the changes in his delivery as the key.

"I've always thrown a little bit over the top and now I've dropped down a little bit," Looper said. "I think my natural arm slot is down more than I've thrown in the past. It feels more comfortable, I get more sink in my fastball.

"Tonight, I had to put my changeup in my pocket. It was awful, but I was able to throw low strikes."

Allan Simpson and Brandon Parker followed Looper to the hill throwing one scoreless inning each to close out the Storm.

Uploaded August 21, 2000