'Hawks display fireworks

Luis Tinoco drove home in the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the ninth inning as Lancaster rallied to defeat Rancho Cucamonga before the largest crowd in the history of The Hangar.

But with the exception of the fireworks following the game, it appeared the 7,071 in attendance at The Hangar would go home disappointed.

That was until pinch-hitter Luis Tinoco drove in Brendan Kingman and Jason Regan with the game-tying and game-winning runs in the ninth inning of a 8-7 Lancaster win.

"This was a nice win for us," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "They had to battle back to win this game. I think we had some young players who realized they could play better then they had been, and they did that tonight."

Lancaster used solid defense and timely hitting to end its three-game losing streak and avoid only its third sweep of the season.

The JetHawks ended a string of seven consecutive games with at least one error Friday - a streak in which they were charged with 18 errors.

But even with that solid defense, Lancaster entered the ninth inning trailing 7-5. The JetHawks appeared to be in trouble when Rancho Cucamonga first baseman Pete Paciorek made a nice diving stop to retire Ramon Vazquez for the first out of the inning.

But Cirilo Cruz Jr. laced a single up the middle and Kingman followed with a single into right-center field. Tom Szymborski then hit Regan to load the bases.

Scott Dodd's wild pitch scored Cruz from third base and drew the JetHawks within one. Dodd intentionally walked Jayson Bass to load the bases once again.

Burleson made the call for the right-handed Tinoco to face the left-handed Dodd, rather than Matt Sachse, who's also left-handed.

"I was ready," Tinoco said. "We had two left-handers in a row, so I was ready to pinch-hit."

Even though the Quakes lifted Dodd for right-hander Luis Torres, Burleson stuck with Tinoco.

The move paid off, as Tinoco snuck a 2-2 slider through the left side of the infield to bring home both Kingman and Regan and help move the JetHawks back above .500 (8-7).

"It's tough to come in like that," Tinoco said. "But I was ready. . . I was happy to help my teammates. This was a big win for us."

Lancaster already had rallied from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game with three runs in the sixth inning. But Rancho outfielder A.J. Johnson slammed an eighth-inning solo home run to left-center field to break that tie.

Johnson's home run, his 12th of the season, came off Lancaster reliever John Kelly on a 3-2 fastball. The blast ruined an otherwise impressive outing by Kelly, who had struck out five of the six previous batters he'd faced.

"I think I made a good pitch to (Johnson)," Kelly said. "It may have been up a little, but it was inside."

Kelly walked the next batter, Gus Kennedy, who scored on Geronimo Newton's wild pitch later in the frame to give the Quakes a two-run lead. Kelly allowed only those two runs on one hit and one walk in his three innings of work.

"I think he pitched a very good game," Burleson said. "His one hit was the home run on a 3-2 fastball. . . We need guys in the bullpen who can pitch like that when our starters can only go four or five innings."

The right-hander came on in relief of starter Julio Ayala, who was outstanding through the first three innings, but suddenly began to struggle in the fourth, allowing four runs on four hits and a walk.

Francisco Santiestaban helped get Ayala off the hook in the sixth, though, when he singled in Cruz and Regan. The Lancaster catcher went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a walk.