Seventh win a heavenly one for Lancaster

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

So why not the longest winning streak too?

The Lancaster JetHawks slumped into the all-star break on the heels of a 12-game losing skid, which until Stockton tied that mark earlier this week stood as the longest in minor league baseball.

Now, as the second half winds down, the JetHawks find themselves on a different kind of streak. And a much more enjoyable one at that.

Though it wasn't pretty, Lancaster managed to hold off the Visalia Oaks 19-10 before 3,403 fans at Lancaster Municipal Stadium in a pitching coach's and scorekeeper's worst nightmare. Though the win was ugly, it represented the team's seventh consecutive victory.

The JetHawks will attempt to match a franchise-high eight-game winning streak, which was established Aug. 8-15 of the 1997 season, when they host the Oaks in the series finale today.

Before beginning their current streak last Sunday in San Jose, the JetHawks had failed to win more than three games in a row all season long. None of the seven victories have been cheap, either. All have come against teams likely to land in the California League playoffs.

Since both High Desert and San Bernardino lost Saturday, Lancaster also kept its slim playoff hopes alive with the win. The JetHawks (28-35 second half, 51-82 overall) now trail the Mavericks and Stampede by six games in the secondhalf standings with seven remaining.

While improved pitching and defense have made the difference during most of Lancaster's lateseason tear, it was the offense that made all the difference Saturday.

Lancaster torched three Visalia pitchers for 14 earned runs on 15 hits and six walks. All of that damage came in the first four innings.

For the game, Lancaster accumulated 21 hits, 14 of which went for extra bases, including six home runs by six different players.

After a relatively silent first inning, Lancaster got things going with Alex Fernandez's two-run homer of starter Steve Bazzell in the second inning. Matt Sachse made the Lancaster lead 3-0 with an RBI double later in the inning.

The JetHawks broke the game open in the third inning with eight runs on seven hits off reliever Javier Calzada. Lancaster sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning, which was highlighted by two-run homers from Cirilo Cruz and Sachse and a three-run blast from Shawn McCorkle.

McCorkle picked up three more RBI with his bases-loaded double in the fourth, which negated a four-run Oaks rally in the top half of the inning and made the score 16-6.

McCorkle, who finished the game 4-for-5 with seven RBI, a home run and two doubles, has been red-hot since the team returned from San Jose, driving in 17 runs during the first five games of the homestand.

Greg Wooten (9-4) got the win, despite allowing six earned runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings.

Uploaded August 30, 1999