'Hawks making most of their opportunities

Bakersfield failed to take control of the game as Lancaster won its sixth straight

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press June 11, 1998.

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

BAKERSFIELD - Nothing kills baseball teams quicker than missed opportunities.

The Bakersfield Blaze are learning that lesson the hard way against the Lancaster JetHawks this week.

One night after the Blaze had a potential rally thwarted by getting a runner thrown out at third for the first out of the ninth inning, Bakersfield let an excellent opportunity to take control of Wednesday's game slip through its fingers.

This time it cost the Blaze in an 8-2 loss to the JetHawks before a paid attendance of just 451 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The JetHawks grabbed their sixth consecutive victory while sending Bakersfield to its seventh straight defeat. Both streaks were the longest of the season.

Unlike Tuesday, Bakersfield's missed opportunity came much earlier in the game. Lancaster just had scored two runs in the top of the third inning to erase a 2-0 Blaze lead.

But Bakersfield looked like it had an answer in the bottom half. The Blaze loaded the bases with no outs on two hits and a walk off Lancaster starter Greg Wooten. Wooten was making his first start since arriving from extended spring training where he was rehabilitating a sore elbow.

Rather than panicking, Wooten got Don Denbow to ground to Brendan Kingman at third base, who threw home for the force and the first out of the inning. Wooten then struck out Scott Smith on four pitches before getting Teo Prospero to fly out to left field.

"That was a big lift for us," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "They had an opportunity to go ahead, and we kept them from scoring. I think that made our guys realize that they needed to make the most of their opportunity to take the lead."

The JetHawks did exactly that in the top of the fourth.

Karl Thompson was hit by a pitch with one out, then Anton French smacked the second of his three singles on the night through the right-side hole of the Blaze defense.

Adonis Harrison doubled both in with an inside-out hit that kicked up chalk down the left-field line. Harrison also scored on a wild pitch to make the score 5-2.

Wooten made sure that lead stood, as he pitched a scoreless fourth. He finished by allowing two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four in four innings.

"For the most part, I thought he pitched pretty well," Burleson said. "He got a lot of ground balls."

Lindsey Gulin, who made his first appearance out of the bullpen after moving there to make room for Wooten and Jason Bond, took care of the rest. Gulin was outstanding through the final five innings, surrendering only two hits and striking out five in his shutout performance.

"I definitely needed this one for myself, because I haven't been pitching as well as I should have been," Gulin said.

Lancaster gave Gulin a little more cushion in which to work by scoring one run in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Along with French, Cirilo Cruz Jr. also had three hits, while Harrison and Jason Regan each had two. Cruz picked up three RBI, while French scored three runs. Harrison also had two runs scored and two RBI.

"This team made one hell of a run in May and has carried it into June," Burleson said. "Everybody has contributed, and I mean all 25 guys."