Three failures not the charm in extra innings

Stranded runners came back to haunt the JetHawks Friday night.

With the game tied 4-4, the JetHawks left two runners on base in each of the ninth, 10th and 11th innings.

High Desert was much more efficient with its runners, as it scored five runs in the top of the 12th inning to claim a 9-5 extra-inning victory.

Lancaster reliever Brian Fitzgerald (0-2), who stood to take the victory Thursday before Lake Elsinore rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth, allowed four hits and three walks in the pivotal 12th inning.

Jarrod Patterson's two-run double proved to be the difference in the game, even though the Mavericks tacked on three more insurance runs.

Lancaster's best chance to win the game came in the 10th, as Luis Tinoco reached third base with no outs in the frame. But after Anton French struck out, Francisco Santiestaban grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

Fortunately for Lancaster, that didn't happen in the ninth. Karl Thompson started the comeback by drawing a walk. Adonis Harrison, who halted an 0-for-14 slide earlier in the game, then doubled to right-center field.

Two pitches later, Jason Regan bounced a single back up the middle. The hit scored Larry Haynes, who was pinch-running for Thompson.

Even though the ball never made it that far past second baseman Jared Martin, Harrison rounded third base. When Martin's throw went off line, Harrison easily scored to tie the game and send it to extra innings.

Lancaster could have won the game, but Brendan Kingman grounded out with Regan on third base.

The rally took Patrick Dunham off the hook for his roughest start of the season. Dunham surrendered seven hits in the first two innings, all of which were hard shots. The hardest hit was Rod Barajas' three-run homer in the top of the first. The blast, which came on a 0-2 count, was the first since May 4 for Barajas, who leads the Cal League with 11 homers.

Julios Matos singled in Bert Hudson in the second to give the Mavericks a 4-0 lead.

It appeared that Dunham's struggles were going to continue into the third inning when the Mavericks led off with back-toback singles. But the right-hander settled down to retire the next eight batters he faced and 13 of his last 14.

Dunham lasted seven innings, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits with no walks and six strikeouts.