JetHawks discover their bats

Ramirez managed only two home runs while playing with the JetHawks in 1997. But he's already got half that total this season.

Ramirez led of the top of the third inning of the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Modesto with a solo home run down the left-field line.

That run seemed to inspire the JetHawks, as they pulled away for an 11-4 victory over the A's. That win mercifully ended Lancaster's five-game losing streak.

The JetHawks were on their way to starting a winning streak with a victory in the second game. They led 9-1 at press time in the bottom of the fifth. The game was scheduled for seven innings.

After managing only two hits and two runs in Sunday's first game of the series, Lancaster set season highs for runs (11) and hits (12) during Tuesday's first game. And those totals came in a seveninning game.

It looked like Lancaster's offensive woes would continue early, as it produced nothing on hits by Anton French and Cirilo Cruz Jr. in the first two innings. Modesto took advantage, scoring two runs off Lancaster starter Denny Stark.

One of the runs scored on Cody McKay's controversial single down the first-base line that was ruled fair by home-plate umpire Ramon Armendariz. Stark argued the call vehemently, an argument he continued after he left the game in the fourth inning. Stark was ejected from the game after that argument.

"When I said something to him, I was frustrated, more than anything else, because I was missing the strike zone," Stark said of the incident.

Ramirez trimmed the Modesto lead in half when he smacked the first pitch he saw over the wall. Adonis Harrison followed with a single, and Luis Tinoco and Jayson Bass drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.

Cruz's single scored Harrison, while Brendan Kingman's hit chased home both Tinoco and Bass to give the JetHawks a 4-2 lead. The four runs were the most the JetHawks have scored in an inning this season - at least to that point.

Modesto tied the game in the fourth, when Stark walked in a run and Tim Jones scored on a wild pitch by Lancaster's Aaron Scheffer.

But the JetHawkws answered with runs from French, who stole three bases in the game, and Bass. French scored on Cruz's sacrifice fly, while Kingman singled in Bass.

Lancaster added to the lead in the sixth thanks to three errors by Modesto shortstop Coanabo Cosme in the frame. Cosme made a fielding and throwing error, allowing Ramirez to score the second of his three runs and Harrison to reach third base.

The JetHawks added two runs in the seventh, thanks to back-toback doubles by Ramirez and Harrison.

In the first game, Ramirez went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBI, a homer and a double. Harrison and Kingman also picked up two hits in the game and Kingman led the team with three RBI.

Scheffer (1-0) took the victory after pitching 2 1/3 solid innings in relief.

The second game started much the same as the first did, as Modesto claimed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Once again, the JetHawks struggled early, having three hits produce no runs in the second.

Lancaster did its damage in the third inning again.

Harrison got the ball rolling with a leadoff single. French followed with a double, and Cosme's fifth error of the night (second of the game) scored Harrison. Bass walked to load the bases. Cruz drove in French, before Jason Regan doubled off the left-field wall to clear the bases and give the JetHawks a 5-1 lead before any outs were recorded in the inning.

Regan scored on Karl Thompson's sacrifice fly, giving Lancaster six runs in the inning - its new high for the season. The barrage came after the JetHawks sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning.

Lancaster added three runs in the top of the fourth on three hits, including RBI doubles by Cruz and Mike Burrows, to build a comfortable 9-1 lead.