Good luck charms no use for Hawks

So Martin went the facial-hair route, leaving a half-goatee of blond hair on his face when he shaved, similar to one of Mike Piazza's many styles.

"We had to try something different," Martin said.

He'll have to come up with something else. The JetHawks snapped their two-game error-filled streak Tuesday against Mudville, committing just one error, but they couldn't snap the two-game losing streak. The Nine beat the JetHawks, 8-6, giving Lancaster their third consecutive loss and Mudville their ninth consecutive win.

"You give up eight runs in this ballpark, that's pretty tough to do, I think," JetHawks manager Scott Coolbaugh said. "We don't have anybody able to hold anybody down. Lefties can't get lefties, righties can't get righties, and our starting pitching has suffered the last three days."

The two culprits this time were starter Hatuey Mendoza and reliever Greg Jacobs. Mendoza allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings, including three walks, and Jacobs (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits in 1 innings to pick up the loss.

Mudville scored the winning runs after a close non-call by base umpire Jimmy Forbis in the sixth. JetHawks shortstop Jason Williams made a nice play on a two-out grounder deep into the hole by Mudville left-fielder Mark Burnett and appeared to have Burnett beat at first. Forbis called Burnett safe, and Fernando Rios, the next batter, hit a two-run double off the wall in left-center, giving the Nine a 7-5 lead.

The JetHawks had a chance to tie the game in the ninth after closer Mike Neu walked two batters, but J.D. Closser struck out and pinch-hitter Jeff Waldron popped out, giving Neu his 21st save.

The Nine used power, an unconventional method for winning at pitcher-friendly Billy Hebert Field, to beat the JetHawks. Josh Spoerl hit two home runs, and Eric Welsh hit one.

Martin gave the JetHawks their only home run in the seventh, his league-leading 26th of the season.

The JetHawks had only one big inning, a three-run fifth, and the Nine gave them plenty of help. Rico Montas singled to open the inning, one of his four hits in the game, but Lancaster didn't get another hit in the inning. An error, a sacrifice fly and three walks, including two with the bases loaded, gave the JetHawks three runs to tie the game at five.

Mudville starter Brandon Culp did most of the damage, including the first bases-loaded walk. Reliever Brad Salmon walked the first batter he faced, driving in the third run, then got Kevan Burns to pop out, ending the inning.

Salmon (4-8) allowed one run in 3 innings to earn the victory.

"He was locating his pitches and had a pretty good breaking ball," Martin said.

Culp allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits in 4 innings. He walked four, struck out three and wasn't involved in the decision.

JetHawks third baseman Corey Myers went hitless in four at-bats, snapping his 14-game hitting streak. Second baseman Montas singled in all four of his at-bats and scored one run.

"We can't make any excuses," Coolbaugh said. "We didn't pitch well. When you don't get pitching it's tough to win."

Uploaded August 22, 2001