JetHawks rally falls short, 8-7

Then came the eighth, when the JetHawks roared to life with a four-hit, five-run outburst, including three extra-base hits.

Too little, too late. The Oaks had built a six-run lead, and they hung on for the narrow victory, 8-7. The JetHawks stranded the tying run at third in the eighth and ninth innings.

The JetHawks' improbable rally came after seven lackluster innings.

The Oaks scored two runs before the JetHawks recorded an out, and built a four-run lead by the third inning. Oaks starter Neal Cotts used exceptional command to hold Lancaster to one unearned run on two hits in five innings.

Lancaster's only rally came in the seventh inning, when Jamie Sykes doubled Cedrick Harris home to cut the lead to three runs, and the JetHawks loaded the bases for Robby Hammock. But Oaks reliever Scott Navarro got Hammock to ground into an inning-ending double play.

The battle between two last-place teams held all the excitement of a root canal, especially after the Oaks seemed to squash any doubt in the eighth with three insurance runs, building the six-run lead.

But J.D. Closser hit a two-run home run off Oaks reliever Bryan Mazur. Cedrick Harris singled, and Matt Kata and Corey Myers hit back-to-back doubles off Oaks closer Franklyn German. Myers moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Rico Montas' ground out, pulling the JetHawks within one.

With the tying run on third base, Hammock grounded out to end the inning.

Closser tripled with one out in the ninth inning, but German struck out pinch-hitter Brian Gordon, and pinch-hitter Jeff Waldron popped up.

Through the first seven innings, the most excitement in the game was two hit batsmen.

Webb, Lancaster's starter, hit his 23rd and 24th batters of the season, resurrecting his pursuit of the league's 44-year-old single-season record. Visalia's Robert Dunn hit 32 batters in 1957. Webb probably has five starts to catch Dunn.

Fans seemed ignorant of the chase, but Webb's teammates certainly know about it. Reliever Brian Matzenbacher sought out Dan Hubbard, the team's radio announcer, to find the magic number a few weeks ago so the team could have some fun with Webb.

Webb doesn't throw at opponents. He pitches from a three-quarters arm slot, though, and frequently pitches inside. That combination means he'll hit batters. Tuesday, for the sixth time this season, he hit two.

He hit Visalia's Marshall McDougall in the Oaks' two-run first-inning rally, then hit Aaron Nieckula to open the second inning.

Webb, who pitched a spectacular eight-inning two-hitter last Thursday to earn the league's pitcher of the week award, was much less effective this time. Webb (4-10) allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.

Cotts (2-0) allowed one unearned run on two hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Uploaded August 8, 2001