Extinguished by Blaze

Lancaster failed to collect the timely hits as Bakersfield jumped out to a 5-2 lead and held on, ending the JetHawks' four-game winning streak.

They had timely hitting along with solid pitching and defense to take three out of four at Lake Elsinore and the first game of this weekend's series with Bakersfield.

But at times Saturday, all three areas let the JetHawks down, and the winning streak came to an abrupt end with a 7-6 loss to the Blaze.

Bakersfield roughed up Lancaster starter Jeff Gulin (0-1) in the first and third innings, as the visitors jumped out to a 5-2 lead and held on.

The JetHawks had an excellent shot to sneak out a victory in the ninth inning. Adonis Harrison opened the frame by drawing a one-out walk. Marcus Sturdivant was called out on strikes, but Cirilo Cruz singled in Harrison, who stole second base, with an opposite-field grounder to trim the lead to one run.

That brought up Brendan Kingman, the Cal League's leading hitter with a .357 average entering Saturday's game. Jayson Bass, who pinch-ran for Cruz, stole second base, which allowed the Blaze to intentionally walk Kingman, who hit a solo homer in the eighth inning to cut the lead to 7-5.

Luis Tinoco then sent a 2-1 pitch toward the gap in left-center field, but the wind held it up long enough for Bakersfield center fielder Dan McKinley to run under it and end the game.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only time Lancaster's offense, which always seemed to pick up clutch hits during the four-game winning streak, fell short.

Anton French grounded out with runners on first and second and two outs in the fourth inning, while Sturdivant was called out on strikes and Cruz grounded out with runners on first and second in the seventh.

Bakersfield grabbed an early 2-0 lead off three hits, a walk and Ramon Vazquez's error in the first inning.

Lancaster tied the game when Jason Regan crushed a two-run homer off the scoreboard in leftcenter field. The home run gave Regan seven blasts for the season, one more than Kingman's six.

But Bakersfield had an answer for Regan in the top of the third. The Blaze used three extra-base hits and a walk to chase Gulin. Teo Prospero also picked up an RBI single off Kevin Gryboski to give the Blaze a 5-2 lead after the third.

Four of the five runs Gulin allowed were earned. He gave up six hits and two walks while striking out three in 2 1/3 innings.

The Lancaster offense picked up a pair of two-out hits in the fifth inning, again trimming the lead to one run. Sturdivant doubled in Vazquez, before scoring on Cruz's RBI single.

Bakersfield scored what proved to be the winning runs in the top of the seventh. Don Denbow led off with an infield single, then advanced to second on Gryboski's wild pitch, and scored when Tinoco had Kevin Tommasini's fly ball get away from him. Tommasini also scored on Marco Pernalete's RBI single, building the Blaze's lead back to three runs at 7-4.

Bakersfield starter Ryan Jensen (4-5) took the victory after allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks in six innings. Matt Wells pitched the final three innings to pick up his third save. Jensen and Wells combined to strike out 12 in the game.