BASEBALL: JetHawks rally from huge deficit again
July 11, 2014
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER - Thursday marked the third straight day the JetHawks got down by at least six runs to Inland Empire before they even knew what hit them.
However big a recipe for disaster that might be, their reaction following the deficits has delivered them their first series win of the second half of the season.
One day after rallying from an 8-0 deficit to win a wild 15-12 shootout against Inland Empire, the JetHawks (52-39) got down 7-0 only to come back yet again and beat the 66ers 9-8.
The win gave them their first winning streak of the month after dropping the opening game of the series 14-8 to Inland Empire, a game in which the JetHawks drew within a run after falling behind 6-0 in the second inning.
Mark Appel got the start for the JetHawks. The right-hander was looking for his fourth consecutive positive start after going five innings and allowing three earned runs in each of his last three starts.
"I don't really look at the numbers too much," Appel said prior to the game. "It's more like 'did I go out there and compete?'"
Appel probably will want to avoid looking at the stat sheet after this one regardless. The Astros' top pick in the 2013 draft lasted 4 innings and gave up 13 hits, a season-high for a JetHawks pitcher. He was charged with all seven of the 66ers' runs, all earned, struck out five and walked a batter.
It was the fifth inning where Appel imploded. He walked a batter and gave up three doubles and a single and only recorded one out in a five-run inning for Inland Empire.
The Lancaster offense finally woke up after his departure.
The JetHawks found their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth after Da Gulbransen scored from third on a passed ball from Anthony Bemboom. The run was unearned for 66ers starter Dan Tobik, who only gave up three hits and five walks in six innings.
Once Tobik left, the floodgates opened for Lancaster. Rio Ruiz, who was 3-for-5, hit a three-run homer over the right-field wall, followed by a Conrad Gregor solo shot in the seventh to cut the deficit to 7-5.
Danry Vasquez tied the game with a double off the right-field wall and the go-ahead run came after Jordan Scott hit a grounder and Vasquez beat the throw home in the eighth inning.
Ruiz added an insurance run when he got a base hit and Inland Empire's right fielder bobbled the ball to allow Scott, who was in the game in place of Teoscar Hernandez after he suffered an injury to his right hand in the first inning, to score all the way from first to give the JetHawks a 9-7 lead.
The 66ers threatened in the ninth, loading the bases with only one out and closing the gap to 9-8, but JetHawks reliever Daniel Minor - who got the win - snatched a comebacker by Jose Rondon and then threw the ball to first for the game-ending double play.
The JetHawks are back at it today on the road, facing Rancho Cucamonga at 7:05 p.m.
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER - Thursday marked the third straight day the JetHawks got down by at least six runs to Inland Empire before they even knew what hit them.
However big a recipe for disaster that might be, their reaction following the deficits has delivered them their first series win of the second half of the season.
One day after rallying from an 8-0 deficit to win a wild 15-12 shootout against Inland Empire, the JetHawks (52-39) got down 7-0 only to come back yet again and beat the 66ers 9-8.
The win gave them their first winning streak of the month after dropping the opening game of the series 14-8 to Inland Empire, a game in which the JetHawks drew within a run after falling behind 6-0 in the second inning.
Mark Appel got the start for the JetHawks. The right-hander was looking for his fourth consecutive positive start after going five innings and allowing three earned runs in each of his last three starts.
"I don't really look at the numbers too much," Appel said prior to the game. "It's more like 'did I go out there and compete?'"
Appel probably will want to avoid looking at the stat sheet after this one regardless. The Astros' top pick in the 2013 draft lasted 4 innings and gave up 13 hits, a season-high for a JetHawks pitcher. He was charged with all seven of the 66ers' runs, all earned, struck out five and walked a batter.
It was the fifth inning where Appel imploded. He walked a batter and gave up three doubles and a single and only recorded one out in a five-run inning for Inland Empire.
The Lancaster offense finally woke up after his departure.
The JetHawks found their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth after Da Gulbransen scored from third on a passed ball from Anthony Bemboom. The run was unearned for 66ers starter Dan Tobik, who only gave up three hits and five walks in six innings.
Once Tobik left, the floodgates opened for Lancaster. Rio Ruiz, who was 3-for-5, hit a three-run homer over the right-field wall, followed by a Conrad Gregor solo shot in the seventh to cut the deficit to 7-5.
Danry Vasquez tied the game with a double off the right-field wall and the go-ahead run came after Jordan Scott hit a grounder and Vasquez beat the throw home in the eighth inning.
Ruiz added an insurance run when he got a base hit and Inland Empire's right fielder bobbled the ball to allow Scott, who was in the game in place of Teoscar Hernandez after he suffered an injury to his right hand in the first inning, to score all the way from first to give the JetHawks a 9-7 lead.
The 66ers threatened in the ninth, loading the bases with only one out and closing the gap to 9-8, but JetHawks reliever Daniel Minor - who got the win - snatched a comebacker by Jose Rondon and then threw the ball to first for the game-ending double play.
The JetHawks are back at it today on the road, facing Rancho Cucamonga at 7:05 p.m.