High Desert's eight-run ninth ruins Lancaster's comeback

High Desert scored eight runs in the ninth inning en route to a victory over Lancaster

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

The only problem was there was nothing left to spoil.

With Bakersfield's victory over Lake Elsinore on Wednesday, the High Desert Mavericks already knew they had a playoff spot locked up.

But that wasn't enough, as the Mavericks wanted to make sure not to back into their fourth-consecutive playoff appearance. Casey Cuntz singled in pinch runner Robby Hammock to kick start an eight-run ninth inning, breaking up what was a tie game and giving High Desert a 15-11 victory over the JetHawks before what was left of an announced crowd of 2,385 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

"That's the way our whole season has gone," Lancaster manager Darrin Garner said. "We battle back and then give up the big inning. That was our whole season there."

With the Storm eliminated by their 4-2 loss to the Blaze on Wednesday, the Mavericks (36-30 second half, 66-69 overall) will play San Bernardino in the first round of the South Division playoffs. Home-field advantage in that three-game series has not yet been determined.

Lancaster, which was eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, lost its third straight and dropped to 28-38 in the second half and 51-85 overall.

Though they missed a number of scoring chances early in the game, stranding eight runners in the first five innings and 13 in the game, Lancaster managed to stage a comeback to tie the game and give the Mavericks a scare.

Patrick Williams' RBI double in the eighth inning scored Jermaine Clark with his third run of the night to cap off the four-run comeback and even the score.

But unfortunately for Lancaster, High Desert ripped Lancaster reliever Jason Turman (4-10), who lost only his second of 18 relief appearances this season. Turman allowed seven hits and three walks in the fateful frame, as he faced 14 Mavericks batters.

"We needed to put up a zero," Garner said. "We could even get a one or a two. They got eight."

Even though the JetHawks rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth and matched the Mavericks with 16 hits in the game, that inning was too much to overcome.

Lancaster grabbed a 2-1 lead in the first inning, after Harvey Hargrove doubled in Clark, then scored on a double steal play with Greg Connors.

But that lead was short-lived, as High Desert's James Rinne led off the top of the second with a solo home run. Mark Osborne duplicated the feat in the fourth to give the Mavericks a 3-2 lead.

High Desert appeared to break the game open for the first time in the sixth with three runs, spurred by Patrick Johnson's two-run double. Johnson also crossed home plate on Alex Cintron's single to make the score 6-2.

Lancaster refused to go away, though, getting a two-out, threerun home run from Matt Sachse in the bottom of the seventh to pull within one run, 7-6.

Uploaded September 2, 1999