JetHawks finally win one in Bakersfield

Monday night, the JetHawks staged an exorcism.

J.D. Closser hit a two-out, run-scoring double in the seventh inning, driving in the winning run in Lancaster's 9-5 victory over the Blaze, the JetHawks' first win in five tries at Sam Lynn Ballpark this season. Jamie Sykes added a bases-loaded double, his third hit of the game, to give the JetHawks three insurance runs.

"It's been tough," JetHawks manager Scott Coolbaugh said. "I told (hitting coach Rick) Schu today maybe we should change up and have him coach third and me coach first. We've tried everything else."

The JetHawks scored the nine runs on 14 hits and overcame three errors to snap their five-game road losing streak.

Including last season, the JetHawks had lost seven consecutive games in Bakersfield.

Blaze reliever Chris Wright should have been out of the inning without any damage. Luis Terrero opened the inning with a routine ground ball to second, but Ramon Soler's throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Terrero to reach safely. Wright retired the next two batters before the JetHawks rattled off their two-out rally.

But Wright walked Billy Martin, and Closser lined a 2-1 pitch off the wall in left field, scoring Terrero. Ryan Jones walked, loading the bases, and Sykes hit a 1-2 pitch into the gap, clearing the bases.

"J.D. with that two-out hit, that was the big blow, especially for his confidence," Coolbaugh said. "He's been up in so many situations like this, it's almost a sigh of relief he finally did a good job."

Because JetHawks starter Scott Barber pitched efficiently throughout the game, he was still in the game in the seventh inning to earn the win, despite allowing five runs, four earned. In fact, Barber struck out the side in the bottom half of that inning.

Barber (5-2) threw 107 pitches over seven innings, 78 of them for strikes. He struck out eight batters, walked two, and allowed seven hits.

Wright (4-7) didn't allow an earned run but took the loss. He pitched one inning, and allowed two hits and two walks.

Brian Matzenbacher, Greg Jacobs and Jay Belflower combined to pitch two scoreless innings of relief.

The JetHawks hit Blaze starter Enger Veras with four hits in the first inning, including doubles by Billy Martin and Ryan Jones. The JetHawks scored three runs in the inning.

The JetHawks have scored eight runs in the first inning against Veras in the last week. They touched up the pitcher for five first-inning runs in a win over the Blaze last Wednesday.

But the Blaze slowly chipped back. They scored one in the bottom of the inning on a throwing error by catcher Closser, then tied the game in the third when Albert Castillo hit his third two-run home run of the series.

The two teams seesawed through the next two innings.

Terrero broke the tie with his third home run of the season in the fifth inning. He had two hits in the game, and has 10 hits in his last four games.

The Blaze responded with two in the bottom of the fifth, but the JetHawks responded with a run in the sixth to tie the game again.

Sykes had three hits and drove in three runs. The outfielder entered the game with just three hits on the season. First baseman Ryan Jones singled once and doubled twice. He scored one run and drove one in.

JetHawks outfielder Robbie Hammock didn't get a hit in five at-bats, snapping a nine-game hit streak.

Uploaded July 24, 2001