JetHawks rally for win in front of sellout crowd

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

Not just because the JetHawks returned home from their longest road trip of the season, but also because of all the familiar faces that returned to the Lancaster lineup at The Hangar.

The sellout crowd of 4,718 Thursday was certainly happy to welcome them back. Despite falling in an early four-run hole, the JetHawks came back to beat the High Desert Mavericks 12-6 with the help of some recent returnees.

In the process, the JetHawks (15-26) won their fourth game of the season at home in 16 tries and broke a three-game losing skid.

Lancaster, which had a wealth of roster moves earlier in the week, can thank purple pinstripe veterans like Matt Sachse, who started the rally in the bottom of the third inning with his one-out bloop hit that scored Jermaine Clark and Joel Ramirez. Sachse, who spent all of 1998 at Lancaster, was playing in his first home game since joining the JetHawks from Class AA New Haven.

"It was nice to come back to a place I felt comfortable at," Sachse said. "Obviously, I would have liked to have stayed at Double A, but I have a chance to hopefully get things back on track here in a comfortable setting and go back there."

The two RBI were half the total Sachse collected in 97 at-bats with the Ravens, as the outfielder struggled out of the gate and hit .113. He had two hits and two walks in three official at-bats Thursday.

First baseman Shawn McCorkle, who was fresh off his 13-day stay on the disabled list with torn ligaments in his ankle, drew the JetHawks even closer when he pounded a solo home run off the roof of the maintenance shed behind the right-field wall to make the score 4-3.

"McCorkle's been swinging the bat well," JetHawks manager Darrin Garner said. "He never lost his stroke. We've had him working in (batting practice) the last couple of days, and you could see he was still hitting the ball well."

One inning later, McCorkle's two-out, bases-loaded double into the left-center field gap scored Clark and Ramirez with the gametying and go-ahead runs.

"I was really happy to come back and help the team get the win," McCorkle said. "That was the most important thing."

Cirilo Cruz Jr., who joined the team from New Haven during the road trip but was still making his 1999 debut at The Hangar, singled and scored an insurance run in the seventh inning.

Even Jeff Farnsworth, who came off the disabled list Wednesday after recovering from back spasms, played a part in the victory. The right-hander allowed one run in his two innings of relief work, helping the JetHawks hold onto the lead.

"Farnsworth did a nice job," Garner said. "His pitches were up, but I think that's because he was a little strong after being off for a little bit."

Joe Victery, who had struggled in his first three starts since joining the team May 3, was the beneficiary of all the offensive support. After allowing a three-run homer to Mark Osborne in the second inning and a solo blast to Abraham Nunez in the third, Victery settled down to pick up his first win in four decisions.

The right-hander, who entered the game with a 14.34 ERA, allowed the four earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out two in his five innings of work.

Lancaster started the process of putting the game away for Victery in a wild two-run sixth inning that saw the ejection of Mavericks reliever Jeff Wilson (0-2) and manager Derek Bryant following two disputed calls that allowed Clark to score a run.

"When we got those two big breaks, I was like no way," Garner said. "We're not used to getting breaks like that."

The game got ugly in the seventh when Lancaster padded its advantage with five runs on five hits.