After 15, just one left

Marathon loss sends JetHawks home for deciding Game Five

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

San Bernardino, though, would have none of it as the Stampede took a tooth and nail battle, 4-3 in 15 innings before a crowd of 1,362 at San Bernardino Municipal Stadium and forced a decisive Game Five tonight in Lancaster.

In the California League's other North Division playoffs, Visalia also forced a Game Five, by beating Modesto 3-1. The game will be played tonight at Modesto.

In the bottom of the 15th, Lancaster reliever Cody Morrison gave up a one-out single to Jimmy Gonzalez, scoring catcher Darren Ross with the game winning run.

"That was a tough game to lose," second baseman Craig Kuzmic said. "But now they have to come into our ballpark and win a game and that's not going to happen. That's not going to happen."

The JetHawks had a shot to take the lead in the 11th after Juan Silvestre stroked his fourth hit of the game, a single to left, and Bo Robinson followed with a walk.

Wilfredo Quintana and Peanut Williams were unable to take advantage, though, as Quintana flew out to right and Williams struck out to end the frame.

Silvestre reached base for the sixth time in the 13th after he drew a two-out walk. Williams followed with a single but Quintana went down swinging at strike three for the third out.

"Our kids came in with the attitude, 'We're going back to Lancaster,' " Stampede manager Dino Ebel said. "We feel confident going into their park, even though we don't have lot of wins to show for it."

The Stampede is in fact 1-11 in 10 regular season and two playoff games at the Hangar.

"We punched out too many times (14) and we lost," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "I would have liked to have had more bat on the ball. Other than that, I really don't have any problems."

Tonight at 7:15, the JetHawks will send Caleb Balbuena (3-1) to the hill to face Eric Junge (8-1).

The JetHawks were hampered by a 1-for-20 performance from the first three hitters in their lineup, Antonio Perez, Freddy May and Craig Kuzmic. The only hit from the three was a Perez's one-out single in the fifth.

After scoring 13 runs in the first two games, the JetHawks' bats cooled considerably. Lancaster scored five runs in 24 innings at The Ranch while striking out a total of 28 times.

The JetHawks first two runs both came courtesy of Silvestre as well.

Lancaster took advantage of an early Stampede miscue after second baseman Jimmy Gonzalez booted a Craig Kuzmic ground ball, allowing Kuzmic to reach base with two outs.

Silvestre, the league's MVP, cashed in on the error with a double that scored Kuzmic and put Lancaster up 1-0 early.

In the fourth, Silvestre led the frame off with a monster 450-foot home run to give Lancaster a 2-0 lead.

Williams got his own solo shot to lead off the top of the seventh, for what was at the time a 3-2 Lancaster lead.

Chris Mears received the start for Lancaster and supplied Parent with five solid innings, giving up two runs on six hits.

For Mears, a sinkerball-type pitcher, the key to his success is keeping the ball down and for the most part Monday he did that.

Mears went scoreless through four innings before the Stampede scored one run in each the fifth and sixth innings.

San Bernardino catcher John Hernandez took a pitch from Mears in the ribs to lead off the fifth and came in to score on leadoff man Jesus Feliciano's doubleplay ground ball.

Mears faced one batter in the sixth, first baseman Pete Paciorek, and gave up a double down the right field line. Aaron Looper was called in to relieve Mears and he got the next two batters, Darron Ingram and Lamont Matthews, to both ground out. But the two ground balls were enough to score Paciorek and tie the game at 2-2.

After Williams' home run put the JetHawks up 3-2 in the seventh, Matthews tied the game again in the eighth with a titanic solo home run off of Looper that rivaled Silvestre's for the longest shot of the night.

In the ninth, it appeared San Bernardino was in business after Gonzalez picked up a one-out walk from Allan Simpson. Pete Paciorek followed with a strikeout with Gonzalez attempting to steal second base on the pitch.

But Paciorek's swing carried him across the plate and despite a late throw from Maynard, Gonzalez was called out at second to end the inning.

The Stampede, squandered an opportunity in the bottom of the 10th after they loaded the bases against three different JetHawk pitchers.

Simpson walked Ingram to start the inning and was relieved by Denny McDaniel. McDaniel faced one batter, Matthews, and hit him in the ankle with a 1-2 pitch.

With two men on and no outs, Parent brought in closer Brandon Parker.

The first man up for Parker, left fielder Sandy Vasquez, laid down a perfect bunt single that loaded the bases.

Parker sent the game to an 11th inning after getting a fielder's choice groundout, striking out Bubba Crosby and inducing Michael Collins into an inning-ending groundout to Kuzmic at second.

Uploaded September 12, 2000