JetHawks still powerhouse at home

The JetHawks finished their home schedule with a 51-19 record and will now turn their attention toward preparing for the playoffs.

by ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff writer

There's no place like home.

The JetHawks played their final regular-season game at home Sunday, bullying the visiting High Desert Mavericks for an 18-10 win before 3,292 fans at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

The JetHawks finished their 70-game slate at home with a record of 51-19, a home winning percentage of .729.

"We've been away from the Hangar for a week," third baseman Bo Robinson said, "and it's always nice to come back and play here. It seems like every game, we're putting up some runs here. It's a big confidence builder knowing what we can do here.

"It's going to be tough to beat us here in the playoffs."

Lancaster (45-19, 85-49) next plays at the Hangar in the divisional playoffs on Sept. 8, against the winner of the Lake Elsinore and San Bernardino first-round series.

The Lancaster offense got rolling early. Shortstop Antonio Perez drilled his 17th home run of the year to leadoff the bottom of the first off High Desert (24-41, 47-98) starter Mike Rooney (2-8).

"We got pop right off. When Antonio does that, it seems like everybody else follows," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "We ran the bases well today and that's important because we haven't been. There were going to be runs scored. We might as well be the ones that score more."

All nine JetHawks in the lineup had at least one hit and scored one run as the team pounded out 20 hits.

Perez finished 4-for-4, smacking three doubles after the home run. The doubles give him 33 on the year and placed him in the top five of the league.

Juan Silvestre added to his franchise-record total of home runs with a two-run shot in the sixth, giving him 29 and bringing him back into a tie with Modesto's Ryan Ludwick for the league lead. He finished 3-for-6 with 4 runs batted in.

First baseman Craig Kuzmic picked up 3 RBI in a 2-for-4 game, scoring three times as well.

"That's just a lot of wins (at home) in not a lot of games," Kuzmic said of Lancaster's home record. "But we're going to have to step it up for the playoffs. We need to make sure we get all of our key stuff done."

Aaron Looper (5-3) picked up the win in two innings of relief, pitching the fifth and six innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

"Looper came in and threw some nasty sinkers," Parent said, "and he made some other guys a few tough sliders.

"The bottom line today, was with that score (18-10) we had a better field goal kicker than they did."

Scott Atchison started for Lancaster and looked off from the beginning. He lasted 2 innings before being relieved by Caleb Balbuena, who did not fare much better.

Atchison gave up five runs, all earned, on eight hits in his abbreviated stint and Balbuena also gave up five runs, two earned, on six hits in 2 innings of work.

"Atch was a couple miles an hour off on his fastball today," Parent said. "It was one of those situations were we had to get him out of there.

"He almost looked like he was hurt, but he said he felt no pain."

Relievers Cody Morrison and Denny McDaniel followed Looper to the mound. Morrison pitched 1 scoreless innings and McDaniel recorded the final two outs to seal the win.

Uploaded August 28, 2000