'Hawks errors prove costly

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press July 16, 1996.
By CHRIS BRANAM
Staff Writer
LANCASTER - The High Desert Mavericks scored seven runs in the last two innings to beat the Lancaster 8-2 Monday night at The Hangar.

Jesus Garcia drove in the goahead run and Doug Newstrom hit a two-run double off the JetHawks' John Thompson (1-5) in the ninth, sending most of the paid attendance of 3,344 to the exits.

The Mavericks (13-13) tied the game in the eighth as third baseman Carlos Villalobos experienced a meltdown.

With two outs and Garcia at third, Villalobos booted a grounder by Mike Berry to allow Garcia to come home.

Villalobos committed his second error of the inning - and 32nd of the season - later in the eighth but Gould struck out Bryan Bogle looking.

The error cost Brett Hinchliffe a chance for his third-consecutive victory.

Hinchliffe's ERA in his last three home starts is 1.29, and he's given up just three runs and 14 hits in his last 21 innings at The Hangar.

Shane Monahan wasted no time in extending his hitting streak to a team-high 15 games when he tripled to lead off the game for the JetHawks.

Monahan's triple was his league-leading 10th of the season. He wasn't able to score, however, on Jason Cook's fly ball to medium deep left field.

Bogle's throw on the line nailed Monahan.

High Desert starter Brian Brewer helped himself out later in the first when he picked Scott Smith off first.

Brewer, who struck out seven in a June 6 win over the JetHawks at Adelanto, walked Cook to lead off the fourth and watched as his defense allowed two runs.

Cook went to third on Smith's double down the left field line, and Scot Sealy hit a grounder to Garcia.

Garcia's throw home to get Cook went to the backstop, and Smith scored all the way from second as Brewer dropped the catcher Newstrom's quick throw.

Sealy was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play, the fourth JetHawk thrown out on the bases in the first four innings.

Brewer deserved a better fate. He gave up six hits and two earned runs in five innings and left trailing by a run.

That's because Hinchliffe, who gave up a one-out triple to Chris Bryant and an RBI groundout to the California League's leading hitter Berry in the first, was a little bit better.

He gave up a two-out double in the second to Roy Hodge and then struck out Bartt Carney.

Then he retired the side in order in the third.

Berry reached first on an error by Cook in the fourth and stole second. Hinchliffe walked David Lamb after two strikeouts but got Hodge to hit a grounder to second that forced Lamb.

Hinchliffe came back to retired the side in order on seven pitches.

After the first, only one time did Hinchliffe allow a runner to reach third. Berry doubled in the sixth and advanced on a groundout, but he was stranded.

And even though his pitch count was high (he threw his 100th pitch in the seventh), Hinchliffe was piling up strikeouts, eight in all.

In his last 14 innings, Hinchliffe has 18 strikeouts.

The JetHawks, meanwhile, couldn't muster more support for Hinchliffe, leaving eight runners on base in the first seven innings, including at second and third in the sixth and seventh.
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Uploaded 07/16/96

© 1996 Antelope Valley Press, Palmdale, California, USA (805) 273-2700