Barajas' hat trick leads High Desert to Victory

Rod Barajas hit three homers to power High Desert to a win over Lancaster

He didn't open 1998 much better, going 1-for-12 with no home runs or RBI through the first five games.

On Tuesday night, however, Barajas made up for lost time. He slammed three home runs off three different pitchers to three different parts of the ballpark, spurring the Mavericks to a 7-3 victory over the Lancaster JetHawks much to the dismay of 2,548 fans at The Hangar.

After an outstanding performance in a 1-0 opening-day victory last Thursday, JetHawks starting pitcher Dennis Stark seemed out of sync from the first inning Tuesday night.

Stark committed a throwing error on a routine ground ball back to the mound, allowing Junior Spivey to reach base. He then walked Jarrod Patterson on four pitches before Barajas slammed his first homer, a wind-aided three-run shot over the right-field wall.

The Mavericks' three runs were the first Lancaster (3-3) had surrendered in either the first or second innings this year and the 3-0 deficit marked the first time the JetHawks had not scored first in their six games.

Lancaster trimmed the lead to one with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Cirilo Cruz Jr. led off the frame with a single to right field and scored two batters later on Jason Regan's triple to the left-center field wall. Matt Sachse's sacrifice fly scored Regan to make it 3-2.

High Desert (2-4) immediately stretched the lead back to three runs when Julius Matos doubled in Kevin Clark and Jamie Gann.

Cruz scored again in the top of the sixth on Jayson Bass' double, but the Mavericks quickly built a three-run cushion once again. This time, Barajas led off the top of the seventh with a solo home run to left field that needed no help from the wind to leave the park. Barajas' second homer of the game came off reliever Kevin Gryboski.

Barajas, who finished 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored, deposited his third homer, a solo shot in the ninth inning, to left-center field. The hit came off Brian Fitzgerald, who allowed only one hit and a walk in two innings.

Stark (1-1) was saddled with the loss despite rebounding from Barajas' first home run to pitch three scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and four walks through four innings, while striking out five.

Gryboski allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks in three innings.

High Desert's Brad Penny (1-0) received the victory after allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks through five innings. Penny, who is rated the No. 6 prospect in the Arizona Daimondbacks' organization, struck out five.

Cruz finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk. The only other player to have more than one hit in the game was Barajas.