Another early lead wasted by `Hawks

For the third time in four day, Lancaster fumbled away an early lead

LANCASTER - The Lancaster JetHawks can't seem to stand prosperity.

For the third game in a row, they jumped out to an early lead. But for the third game in a row, they saw their opponents come back to erase that advantage and build a lead of their own.

Thursday, Lancaster let a 4-0 cushion after the third inning slip away in an 8-7 loss to Rancho Cucamonga before 2,553 fans at Lancaster Municipal Stadium. Robbie Kent scored what turned out to be the winning run on a throwing error charged to JetHawks shortstop Joel Ramirez in the top of the ninth, as Lancaster (7-7) fell to .500 in the second half.

"We didn't get the job done tonight," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "But that's the way things have been going recently."

Lancaster also jumped ahead 3-0 Monday against Bakersfield and 4-0 Wednesday against Rancho Cucamonga, but eventually ended up losing both games.

The JetHawks once again drew first blood in the first inning Thursday on Brendan Kingman's two-run homer to right field.

Cirilo Cruz Jr., who doubled ahead of Kingman in the first, added two runs to the advantage in the third with his single through the left side of the Quakes' infield.

But as has been the case recently, not even that four-run advantage was safe.

The JetHawks' nemesis during the last week, the error, was once again the culprit in the fourth inning.

"All the mistakes seem bigger when you're on a losing streak," Burleson said. "When you're scoring 10 runs every night, those mistakes aren't as obvious."

Even though Lancaster starter Brian Fuentes allowed a two-out walk and a two-out single in the frame, his defense could have twice bailed him out with a double play. But both times the JetHawks failed to get even one out.

Chris Dean, who was playing in his first game since arriving from Class AA Orlando, bobbled a ground ball off the bat of Jake Thrower to load the bases. Cruz then overthrew Joel Ramirez on another potential double-play ball, allowing A.J. Johnson to score on the play and keeping the bases loaded.

Josh Itzoe cleared the bases with his first home run of the year and gave Rancho a 5-4 lead.

All five runs in the fourth were unearned because of the two errors. Those were the only runs Fuentes would surrender in his six innings of work, as he allowed five hits and three walks and struck out eight.

Lancaster tried to claw its way out of a three-run hole in the bottom of the ninth, but pushed across only two runs. Francisco Santiestaban, who represented the tying run, was stranded at second base.