'Hawks nipped in ninth

Lancaster attempts steal, but falls in playoff opener

Three times during the final 10 games of the season, the Lancaster JetHawks came back against the High Desert Mavericks to steal a victory.

They almost did it again Tuesday in Game 1 of the first round of the Cal League playoffs at Lancaster Municipal Stadium. Lancaster stormed back from three runs down to tie the game in the seventh inning.

But this time the Mavericks didn't let victory slip away before a small, but vocal crowd of 1,825 at The Hangar. Jarrod Patterson's RBI single in the top of the ninth scored Jared Martin with the game-winning run of High Desert's 6-5 victory.

"After a shaky first inning, we battled back and got even with them," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "Then we started thinking we'd win it ourselves. . . But it just didn't happen."

The Mavericks, who lost the final nine games of the regular season, broke a six-game losing streak against the JetHawks with the win. They also kept Lancaster winless in three home playoff games in club history.

The same two teams will play the second game of the best-of-3 series tonight at Maverick Stadium. The JetHawks now must win two games in Adelanto to advance to the second round.

"It's a two-game series for us, and a one-game series for them," Burleson said. "But we're not going to just lay down for them."

The JetHawks certainly didn't do that Tuesday. But a mistake late in the game was too costly to overcome. Brian Fitzgerald's first pitch in the top of the ninth hit Martin for a free pass to first base.

"Hitting the first guy really hurt," Burleson said. "It seems like every time you hit the leadoff guy or walk him, he ends up scoring."

Martin took second on Jackie Rexrode's sacrifice bunt and third on Julius Matos' infield single.

Patterson followed and slapped Fitzgerald's 2-1 pitch through the right side of the Lancaster infield for the game-winning hit. That run, however, wouldn't have been needed if not for another furious JetHawks rally.

Lancaster entered the seventh inning trailing 5-2 after being held to three hits through the first six innings.

But Craig Kuzmic, who joined the JetHawks earlier in the day to fill in for the injured Brendan Kingman, immediately added to that total when he belted George Oleksik's 3-1 offering over the right-field wall for his first Cal League hit.

"I was glad I could help this team," Kuzmic said. "I wish I could have got them going a little more, but tomorrow's another day."

The solo home run seemed to ignite the Lancaster offense, which had been relatively silent up to that point. The next batter, Joel Ramirez, blooped a single into left field, and Ramon Vazquez followed with a single four pitches later. After Vazquez was forced out on Anton French's grounder, Cirilo Cruz Jr. drove in Ramirez with a groundout to second.

Jayson Bass tied the game with his RBI single, which scored French from third base.

"We were down 4-0 after the first half-inning," Burleson said. "Then we came back to tie it, and you could feel it was a big momentum change in our favor."

Lancaster dug itself a hole early, as starter Jordan Zimmerman loaded the bases in the first inning with no outs on a leadoff single by Rexrode and two walks.

Rod Barajas then singled to left field. The ball got by Bass for a two-base error, allowing all three runners to score. Barajas was plated on Kevin Sweeney's single to make the score 4-0.

"I think that made them relax a little bit," Burleson said. "We talked a little about trying to get some runs on (High Desert starter John) Patterson early, but we were already down four runs when we came up."

Lancaster managed to chip away at the lead with one run in each of the first and third innings off Patterson. Patterson, who started in favor of tonight's starter Brad Penny to limit his number of days between starts, struggled. He threw 94 pitches through four innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and five walks and seven strikeouts.

Jamie Gann hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth off Jose Gonzalez to give the Mavericks a 5-2 lead. Other than that hit, Gonzalez pitched four strong innings in relief of Zimmerman.