JetHawks Downed by Storm

LANCASTER — Reliever Jason Bond did all the Lancaster JetHawks could have asked of him on Saturday night at the Hangar.

But they still could have used a little more.

After the JetHawks fell six runs behind the Lake Elsinore Storm in the first two innings, Bond pitched 4 2/3 innings of excellent relief, allowing the JetHawks to get to within a run. But when Bond finally ran out of gas, the Storm scored two runs against Brian Sweeney and won, 9-6, before a crowd of 4,717.

The JetHawks (21-22) had a chance to close the gap when they loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Luis Molina hit into a double play.

Chris Dean singled with one out in the ninth but Miguel Correa hit into a game-ending double play.

Chris Beck (0-2), making his first start with the JetHawks since coming down earlier in the week from double A, got torched for six runs in 1 1/3 innings. He was yanked after Randy Betten blistered a three-run double over the head of center fielder Joe Mathis.

But Bond, who has been consistently dependable since a shaky first few outings, gave the JetHawks a chance to get back with a clutch performance.

Bond gave a breather to a bullpen that has been overworked and held the Storm while the JetHawks climbed back into the game. He got through the sixth, allowing one run and striking out six.

The JetHawks started their comeback with a run in second. In the fourth, James Clifford led off with his eighth home run. Carlos Villalobos, Dusty Wathan and Shawn Buhner had consecutive hits, scoring another run. Yuni Kim and Luis Molina drove in runs with a groundout and a sacrifice fly, making the score 6-5.

Villalobos had two hits, extending his hitting streak to a 12 games, the team’s longest this season.

After the Storm took a two-run lead on Justin Baughman’s solo homer in the fifth, Dean pulled the JetHawks to within 7-6 in the seventh on his second homer. Dean had three hits to stretch his hitting streak to nine games.