JetHawks’ Pitchers Get Zeroed In

The prize for JetHawk pitchers who throw shutouts is they get to take batting practice.

Well, JetHawk Manager Dave Brundage owes them two sessions.

“If they pitch like that they can hit every day,” Brundage said after Ivan Montane and John Daniels combined to stifle the High Desert Mavericks, 4-0, before a crowd of 5,054 Friday night at the Hangar.

The JetHawks (12-4), who won their fifth consecutive game, pitched a shutout a week ago tonight at San Jose.

Montane, who gave up eight runs in 8 1/3 innings in his last two starts, had been the only JetHawk starter not to pitch well lately.

Montane’s problem, as it was for much of last season at Riverside, was consistency. Montane, a 22-year-old right-hander who throws a 93-mph fastball and a devastating slider, had trouble getting those pitches over for strikes in previous starts.

But on Friday he was getting ahead of the hitters. He walked only one batter in six innings, going his longest outing of the season on just 83 pitches. He gave up six hits.

“The key for Ivan is to get the ball over the plate and not try to be so fine,” catcher Dusty Wathan said.

In the second and third, the Mavericks put runners at third with one out, but Montane (2-0) got out of each jam.

He appeared to be tiring in the sixth, when he gave up a leadoff walk and threw a wild pitch. But he struck out the next two hitters and ended the inning on Ray Suplee’s groundout.

“I had been working with [pitching Coach Juan Eichelberger] during the week on some key points,” Montane said. “And I guess it paid off.”

Daniels, a finesse pitcher who has been successful following JetHawk power pitchers like Montane, entered in the seventh. Daniels has not allowed an earned run in 14 innings.

Daniels gave up a one-out double to Jessie Garcia in the eighth and walked David Lamb, but the JetHawks kept the shutout intact with a perfectly executed double play that went from first baseman Shawn Buhner to shortstop Mike Lanza to Daniels covering first. The JetHawks turned another double play in the ninth.

Lancaster took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Jesus Marquez hit a one-out solo home run over the right-field fence.

High Desert starter Brad Crills lost his control, walking Carlos Villalobos, hitting Buhner and walking Wathan to load the bases.

Jason Cook hit a hit two-run double, missing a grand slam by a few feet, to give the JetHawks a 3-0 lead.

In the seventh, Jose Cruz Jr. celebrated his 22nd birthday by hitting his first home run.

“It’s the best present I could have gotten,” Cruz said.

JetHawk outfielder Shane Monahan was hitless in four at-bats, snapping a 13-game hitting streak.

Monahan was robbed of a hit in the fourth inning on a diving stop by second baseman Garcia.