By CHRIS BRANAM
Staff Writer
LANCASTER - The High Desert Mavericks hopped on their team bus Thursday night with a four-game sweep and a deep sigh of relief.
The Mavericks took an early five-run lead and held on to beat the struggling Lancaster JetHawks 10-5 in front of 4,012 at The Hangar.
Again, it was a case of too little, too late for the JetHawks. They left two runners on base in four straight innings and dropped under .500 (14-15) for the first time since June 27. They are in last place in the California League's Southern Division.
The Mavericks (16-13) denied Ken Cloude's chance to become the league's first 12-game winner.
Cloude (11-3) lost for the first time since May 12 and was ineffective from the start, giving up two doubles and a home run in his first 10 pitches.
Chris Bryant doubled home Doug Newstrom, who had doubled to lead off the game, as High Desert scored its seventh first-inning run of the series.
That total increased to nine just two batters later when Chris Kirgan hit his 18th homer to deep center field.
Although Cloude gave up only one run in the second, the Mavericks had three more hits.
By the third, Cloude was pitching with the backdrop of Eric Clifford warming up in the bullpen.
The sights on the field were worse.
A single by Bryan Bogle. Another single by Roy Hodge (on his way to a 4-for-5 night) and then an error by James Clifford, dropping a throw after Hodge had gotten into a run-down between first and second, allowing Bogle to score.
Cloude then hit Ray Suplee, gave up a sacrifice fly to Matt Raleigh (one RBI in 10 games as a Maverick) and walked two in a row before the JetHawks turned an inning-ending double play.
Cloude left with one out in the fifth after the Mavericks made it 7-3 on Suplee's sacrifice fly and Raleigh's second hit of the game.
It was Cloude's worst outing since June 23, when the Visalia Oaks ripped him for nine earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. He got the no-decision in that game.
While the Mavericks had no problems with one of the Cal League's best pitchers, their starter pitched like an 11-game winner early on.
Hut Smith, a 23-year-old former North Carolina player of the year, gave up a run in the first on Carlos Villalobos' groundout and a run in the fourth on James Clifford's double.
In between, he gave up one hit and retired seven in a row at one point.
The JetHawks solved some of Smith's mystery in the fifth, but still only came up with one run. After Jesus Marquez's RBI single made it 7-3, Smith struck out Scott Smith for the second time in two innings for the third out.
Scott Smith gained a little revenge in the seventh after High Desert had taken an 8-4 lead.
Jason Cook led off with a double and Villalobos blooped a single off a tiring Hut Smith.
After a popout, Scott Smith singled home Cook to make it 8-4 and then broke up a double play at second on Chris Dean's grounder, allowing Villalobos to score and make it 8-5.
After Hut Smith walked Clifford to put two runners on with two outs and Sealy representing the tying run, Sealy popped out.
That was the last inning for the Mavericks' starter. He gave up five runs (four earned) on 12 hits. He struck out four.