By CHRIS BRANAM
Valley Press Staff Writer
STOCKTON - It wasn't explosive nor very decisive.
But the JetHawks came back from one of their most frustrating losses of the season to win an important swing game Sunday afternoon.
"They came back with a little more focus," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "we got some big hits yesterday."
The JetHawks collected 15 hits and Joe Victery pitched seven strong innings as they beat Stockton 7-4.
"We just played a solid game," said first baseman James Clifford, who hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to cap the JetHawks' scoring. "We're just doing the little things right now and that's why we're winning."
Clifford's 25th homer not only helped the JetHawks win for the ninth time in 10 games, but it was his first homer since July 25 at Rancho Cucamonga.
He is fifth in the league in homers.
"A lot of guys go through spells like that," Clifford said. "I did earlier this year."
After hitting a homer in his first at-bat of 1997, at The Hangar off High Desert's Vladimir Nunez, Clifford didn't hit No. 2 until April 19.
He later went on a binge where he hit five home runs in three games spanning April 30-May 2.
"I'd like to hit a couple more with men on base and get RBIs," said Clifford, who led the team in that category with 78 entering Monday's game.
The JetHawks also got a tworun homer from Jason Regan. Combined with his nine homers he hit at Wisconsin in the first half, it was the 30th overall homer for the JetHawks' infielder.
Regan had gone 1-for-6 in the first two games of the series and had struck out in his first at-bat Sunday.
"They've pitched me well," he said. "It felt good to hit a ball hard."
Shawn Buhner also had three hits to support Victery, who won his second straight start to improve to 5-3.
Victery retired the first 13 batters of the game until Toby Kominek singled in the fifth.
In his last three starts, Victery has 15 strikeouts and an 2.18 ERA. He started the season in the bullpen and has become one of the team's success stories.
"Victery is a guy who came to us at the end of the spring, who had arm surgery last year," Burleson noted.