Patience pays off for Quakes

Patience at the plate paid early dividends for Rancho Cucamonga hitters as the Quakes put together two three-run innings and built a 7-0 lead over Lancaster at press time in the seventh inning.

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

Lancaster JetHawks manager Darrin Garner preaches it to his team.

But patience in the batter's box also can have its virtues, as the JetHawks discovered in Saturday's game against Rancho Cucamonga. At press time, the Quakes led the JetHawks 7-0 in the middle of the seventh inning.

While the JetHawks seemed to press a little in key situations, the Quakes appeared much more relaxed to work the count.

The result was a number of missed scoring opportunities for the JetHawks, while the Quakes converted two three-run innings in the second and fourth frames to take control of the game.

Lancaster batters are encouraged by the Mariners' player development staff to be aggressive early in the count, and the JetHawks fulfilled those expectations early Saturday.

Of the first 17 Lancaster batters to come to the plate, only three saw more than three pitches in their at-bat. Just eight forced starter Aaron Kramer to throw more than two pitches to them.

The results weren't what the JetHawks were looking for.

In the first inning, Ricky Magdaleno grounded into an inning-ending double play on the third pitch of his at-bat, stranding Harvey Hargrove at third base.

In the third inning, the JetHawks got Kramer in trouble when Scott Maynard opened with a double down the left-field line and Jermaine Clark picked up an infield single. But it took Kramer only four pitches to work out of the jam as Hargrove and Greg Connors both flew out on the first pitch before Magdaleno ended the scoring threat with a fly ball to right field on the second pitch he saw.

Without working deep into the count consistently, Kramer lasted through seven shutout innings, holding the JetHawks to seven hits and three walks on 99 pitches. He really had to work only in the fifth, when he threw 26 pitches.

The Quakes, on the other hand, displayed good patience at the plate, working Lancaster starter Jeff Farnsworth deep in the count and forcing him from the game after the fourth inning.

Of the 24 batters Farnsworth faced, 12 forced him to throw four or more pitches, while 18 made him throw at least three.

The results definitely were rewarding for the Quakes.

In the second inning, after Graham Koonce and Kevin Eberwein reached on a leadoff single and a walk, respectively, Scott Seal drove Farnsworth's fourth pitch to him into the right-center field gap to score Koonce.

Wilbert Nieves then singled in Eberwein, before Brian McClure drove the fourth pitch of his at-bat deep enough into left field to plate Seal from third base and give Rancho a 3-0 lead.

The Quakes made Farnsworth throw 27 pitches in the second, as they did in the fourth inning when they posted a second three-spot to take control of the game.

With Farnsworth tiring, Brandon Pernell and Alex Pelaez sandwiched one-out singles around a ground ball by Clay Snellgrove that was misplayed by Lancaster third baseman Cirilo Cruz Jr.

Peleaz's triple, which took a funny bounce in the Lancaster bullpen down the left-field line, scored Pernell and Snellgrove. Peleaz completed the scoring on a wild pitch by Farnsworth.