JetHawks Refreshed by Breeze in Visalia

VISALIA —  Nothing like a good, boring game to warm the hearts of the Lancaster JetHawk coaching staff.

The JetHawks, who had played four consecutive one-run games, finally buried a team on Tuesday night, when they beat the Visalia Oaks, 14-5, before 545 at Recreation Park.

“I don’t feel comfortable unless we have a 10-run lead,” JetHawk Manager Dave Brundage said. “I know what goes on in this league.”

What was so frustrating about the one-run games is the JetHawks had chances to win all four, but won only two. The bullpen had trouble holding leads in those games, but JetHawk relievers pitched five scoreless innings on Tuesday night.

John Daniels pitched three innings to pick up the victory in relief of Ivan Montane, who lasted only four innings. Todd Niemeier pitched the eighth and Chris Beck pitched the ninth.

The JetHawks (4-2) erupted for season highs in runs and hits (18), in taking their second game in the three-game series at Visalia.

“It was nice to pick our pitching staff up,” said first baseman James Clifford, who hit a three-run home run and had five runs batted in. “This is a good confidence builder.”

The JetHawks jumped to a big lead on Visalia starting pitcher Larry Rodriguez, a former member of the Cuban national team whom the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks signed for $1.25 million.

Marcus Sturdivant led off the game with a walk and took second on Shane Monahan’s bunt single. Jose Cruz Jr. drove in a run with a double off the right-center-field fence and, one out later, Carlos Villalobos drove in a run with a groundout.

In the fourth, the JetHawks took advantage of three Visalia errors and added four hits to score four runs against Rodriguez. Clifford had a two-run triple, Dusty Wathan had an RBI single and the JetHawks added another run on an error, taking a 6-0 lead.

Cruz, the JetHawks leading hitter, had four hits in six at-bats. It was the first four-hit game of his brief professional career.

Montane pitched well for two innings, but when he took the mound with a six-run lead in the third he began to falter.

Montane gave up four runs on four hits and a walk in the third and an unearned run in the fourth.

The JetHawks had scored in the top of the fourth when Monahan came home on the front end of a double steal. In the fifth, Jason Cook hit a solo home run to give the JetHawks an 8-5 lead.

The JetHawks added three runs in the eighth on run-scoring singles to center field by Villalobos, Shawn Buhner and Cook.

In the ninth, Clifford hit a booming three-run home run to right field, extending the lead to 14-5.

Sturdivant led off the ninth with an infield single, making him the only JetHawk with a hit in each of the six games.