JetHawks' chance to play spoiler falls by the wayside

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

But after being officially eliminated Sunday, the JetHawks were faced with the prospects of playing the last six games of the 1999 season for little more than pride.

Problem is, they face two teams in those last six games with plenty to play for.

Though the JetHawks tried to fulfill the role of spoiler Tuesday night, they didn't quite have enough.

The High Desert Mavericks scored five runs in the first inning and held on for an 11-7 victory over the JetHawks before a sparse announced crowd of 2,177 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

"You can't spot a team like that," JetHawks manager Darrin Garner said. "If you do that, they keep putting it to you."

With the win, the Mavericks assured themselves at least a tie for the South Division wild card. They also snapped their four-game losing streak, which came on the heals of a minor league-high 15game win streak.

Lancaster, meanwhile, lost its second straight after winning a season-high seven in a row. The JetHawks dipped to 28-36 in the second half and 51-84 overall.

High Desert pounded three Lancaster pitchers for 16 hits, including six home runs in the game. That was the most home runs the JetHawks have allowed in a game in franchise history, topping the five they allowed three times in 1996 and once in 1998.

"They are a good hitting team," Garner said. "They are swinging the bats really well, and they made us play."

The Mavericks' home run barrage started early, when they jumped on Lancaster in the first inning and scored four runs before the first out of the game had been recorded.

After Lancaster starter Brandon Parker (9-7) surrendered a leadoff walk to Alex Cintron, Casey Cuntz bounced an RBI triple off the right-field wall just inside the foul pole.

Abraham Nunez then belted a two-run homer over the right-field wall, which Jack Cust followed with a solo homer just to the left of the hitter's backdrop in center field. The home run by Cust was his league-leading 32nd of the season.

It also was the second of five home runs hit by the Mavericks' Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters, who combined to go 6-for-12 with eight RBI. Nunez and Dan Meir each had two home runs in the game.

The Mavericks added a fifth run in the first inning, when James Rinne doubled in Robby Hammock as High Desert batted around in the frame.

Lancaster cut the lead to 5-2 with solo home runs from Patrick Williams in the first and Rafael Lopez in the third. Williams' home run was his 24th since joining the team, moving him within one homer of tying James Clifford's singleseason record.

But the Mavericks rebounded to chase Parker with three more runs in the fifth thanks to home runs from Nunez and Meir, which built the lead to 8-2.

Parker allowed the eight earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out one in four-plus innings of work.

Lancaster made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, scoring five runs off reliever Steve Immel to pull within 10-7. The big inning was fueled by a grand slam from Greg Connors, which was his first homer in 14 games. Cirilo Cruz followed with his career-high 11th home run of the season.

High Desert starter Jared Jensen (2-2) didn't pitch particularly well, but held the JetHawks to two earned runs on five hits and two walks through five innings.

Uploaded September 1, 1999