JetHawks show their appreciation with victory

By JON MICHAELS
Valley Press Staff Writer

Greg Connors had four hits and knocked in a season-high six runs, and Lancaster used eight walks and 16 hits to pound the visiting High Desert Mavericks 15-6 on Thursday's Fan Appreciation Night at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

Lancaster, which snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Mavericks, jumped on the scoreboard first as Connors knocked in Harvey Hargrove, who had reached on a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hargrove reached base five times in the game, scoring three runs.

The Mavericks (36-31, 66-70) tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning when Abraham Nunez scored on Dan Meier's single up the middle that glanced off Jermaine Clark's glove.

But Lancaster (29-38, 52-85) regained the lead in the third when Rafael Lopez led off the inning with his fifth homer of the season. It marked the seventh straight game Lancaster went deep.

Lancaster increased its lead after High Desert starter Wellington Cepeda allowed the next two batters, Clark (single) and Hargrove (walk), to reach base. Connors then knocked in his second run of the game when his ground-rule double bounced over the centerfield wall, allowing Clark to score.

Jason Regan pushed the lead to 4-1 when his single through the left side of the infield scored Connors.

An inning later, Lancaster chased Cepeda after a leadoff walk to Cirilo Cruz Jr. and Lopez's RBI triple off the left-center field fence made it 5-1.

Enter reliever Matt White, who was promptly greeted by Clark's RBI single up the middle. After an error by all-star left fielder Jack Cust, Patrick Williams lashed an RBI single to increase the lead to 7-1.

Connors did the most damage in the fourth, however, launching his 16th homer - a three-run shot - over the Century 21 sign in left field. His six RBI in the game gave Connors 10 in the series and 83 for the season.

The JetHawks added four runs in the fifth, highlighted by an RBI walk to Regan, a two-run single by Matt Sachse, and Lopez's RBI single to stretch the lead to 14-2.

Lancaster starter Daron Kirkreit benefited most from the offensive outburst, continuing to impress since his return from Class AA New Haven on Aug. 15. Thursday night's victory improved the right-hander's record to 3-0 since his recall, and 4-4 overall.

Kirkreit made few mistakes, but suffered from his long breaks in the dugout while the Lancaster offense had its way with the Mavs. Kirkreit yielded a solo homer to Casey Cuntz in the fifth and struggled to begin the sixth, allowing two walks and an RBI double to James Rinne before giving way to Jared Hoerman.

But in typical Hangar fashion, no lead appeared safe.

Jared Martin promptly greeted Hoerman with an RBI single through the right side of the infield to cut Lancaster's lead to 14-3. The next batter, Alex Cintron, added a sacrifice fly to center field. Pinch-hitter Pat Johnson capped the damage with an RBI single to draw the Mavs within 14-6.

Lopez came within a double of hitting for the cycle for the second time in his career. On Aug. 15, the Lancaster catcher came close in his final at-bat, launching a shot to the gap in left-center, but Cust tracked it down on the dead run.

Uploaded September 3, 1999