JetHawks haunted by house of horrors

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

But the Lancaster JetHawks have yet to make themselves at home.

In seven games at San Bernardino Stadium, the near twin of the park they call home in Lancaster, the JetHawks have yet to grab a victory this season.

The Stampede completed their second consecutive series sweep at The Ranch over Lancaster with Tuesday's 5-4 victory before 1,021 fans.

"I don't like this place," JetHawks manager Darrin Garner said. "We have a lot of bad luck here."

The bad news for the JetHawks, besides the fact they fell to 4-9 in the second half and a franchiseworst 29 games under .500 overall (27-56), is they still have to return to San Bernardino this year. Lancaster wraps up the 1999 season Sept. 3-5 at its own personal house of horrors.

"I still like what I've been seeing in the second half," Garner said. "Even though we've lost three in a row. We just didn't get the job done here."

San Bernardino, which won its sixth in a row and its seventh consecutive series, improved to a league-best 10-3 in the second half and 51-32 overall. Former Lancaster manager Rick Burleson also saw the Stampede grab its 11th win in 13 games against the JetHawks this season.

It's not that Lancaster has played that poorly at The Ranch this year. After all, they are batting .261 and have been charged with only six errors in the first seven games there.

But San Bernardino has played much better, batting .349 and outscoring Lancaster 42-27 at The Ranch.

Tuesday, the JetHawks got an eight-inning complete game from starter Greg Wooten. Wooten (2-2) allowed the five earned runs on eight hits and a hit batter. He didn't allow a walk and didn't strike out a batter.

"I haven't had that many complete games in my career," said Wooten, who pitched in his sixth game since coming back from offseason elbow surgery. "To do it after surgery is really encouraging."

Wooten did struggle early, though, allowing a two-run homer to Karl Chatman in the first inning and a three-run third.

That inning came after Lancaster came back to tie the game when Matt Sachse tripled and scored in the second and Peanut Williams hit his second home run of the season in the third.

But in the bottom half of the third, San Bernardino touched Wooten for four singles. The big hit was Robb Gorr's bloop single that was just out of the reach of Cirilo Cruz in left field. The hit scored Chin-Feng Chen and Chatman.

"I had some pretty good control tonight, but I made a few mistakes in that inning," Wooten said.

San Bernardino starter Randey Dorame may have been just a touch better than Wooten, as he held the JetHawks to two earned run on seven hits and a walk in 7 innings.

Dorame (10-2) improved to 3-0 against Lancaster. He was also the winner in June 10 and June 15 games and has a 3.80 ERA in 21 innings in the three games, which all have been against Wooten.

"All three games, he really hasn't impressed me," Garner said. "But if you do a good job of mixing up your pitches, like he did tonight, you're going to have some success in this league."

Lancaster rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth on Jermaine Clark's bloop single, but Bill Everly got Harvey Hargrove to ground out to pick up his league-leading 22nd save.