This time, Scheffer saves the day

Lancaster reliever Aaron Scheffer avenged an earlier blown save by closing out San Bernadino in the bottom of the ninth Monday

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - It was like deja vu all over again.

Only five nights earlier Lancaster JetHawks reliever Aaron Scheffer found himself in a similar position. He took the mound with his team leading by two runs in the final inning of what appeared to be a JetHawks' victory in San Bernardino.

Scheffer surrendered two runs and the JetHawks lost in extra innings, a loss that started an ugly doubleheader sweep by the Stampede.

Scheffer got a chance at redemption Monday, when Lancaster returned to The Ranch to make up a May 5 rainout. Though it didn't come easily, Scheffer made amends, as he picked up his second save of the season in Lancaster's 4-3 victory.

The win moved the JetHawks (19-19) back to .500 for the first time since April 30.

The JetHawks led 4-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to outstanding pitching performances by starter Julio Ayala and middle reliever Albert Derenches. JetHawks manager Rick Burleson gave the ball to Scheffer in the ninth to close out the victory.

"I really wasn't thinking about the last time," Scheffer said. "I was just thinking about getting the job done."

But much like Wednesday, when the Stampede started the rally with back-to-back bloop singles, Scheffer was bit by a case of bad luck.

Scheffer forced the leadoff batter, Jeff Bramlett, to send a grounder to third base, but Jason Regan's throw to first pulled Brendan Kingman off the bag. Brett Illig followed with a single to left field.

"You almost start wondering if he's snake bit against this team," Burleson said. "He gave up a couple of bloop hits last time, and things just snowballed from there."

It appeared to be getting worse, when Scheffer let an 0-2 count to Wynter Phoenix go full. But Scheffer reached back and struck out Phoenix looking. He followed by striking out Ricky Bell on five pitches.

Just when Scheffer appeared to get some breathing room, though, Nick Leach sent an RBI single into left-center field. It got worse when Scheffer's second pitch to Ramon Moreta glanced off Karl Thompson's glove, allowing Illig to score, cutting Lancaster's lead to one run.

Scheffer stopped the rally right there, though, getting Moreta to ground out to Regan, who fired to Kingman to end the game.

"I really don't think of it as redemption," Sheffer said of his save. "The team needed a win to end the road trip strong, and that's what we got."

Scheffer had a little more room to work with thanks to some clutch hitting by his teammates in the top of the eighth.

Anton French got things rolling with a double into right field. That was followed one pitch later by Cirilo Cruz's opposite-field single, which scored French. Cruz took second on the throw home and scored on Brendan Kingman's base hit to left field, which gave the JetHawks the necessary three-run cushion.

"It was a close game," French said. "I think we have a lot of clutch hitters on this team. In my mind, I think I'm a clutch hitter. I came through, then Cirilo really came through."

Lancaster grabbed an early two-run lead in the second inning when Luis Tinoco and Regan were singled home on back-to-back hits by Michael Moore and Ramon Vazquez.

The Stampede trimmed the lead in half during the fourth with two walks and two hits. The inning could have been much worse for Ayala, who loaded the bases with no outs.

But Ayala held San Bernardino to only a sacrifice fly from Jeff Bramlett, as he struck out Jeff Auterson and got Bell to ground out to end the inning.

"To get out of that situation with only one run, that's doing the job," Burleson said.

That was the only inning Ayala (2-1) struggled in, though. Other than in the fourth, the left-hander allowed only three walks.