Bottom Falls Out on the JetHawks in the Ninth, 6-5

The JetHawks had flirted with disaster long enough and it finally came in the bottom of the ninth.

A blooper by Lake Elsinore Storm shortstop Paul Failla was misjudged by JetHawk center fielder Marcus Sturdivant with two out, and the ball fell for a two-run single, giving the Storm a four-run ninth and a 6-5 victory over the JetHawks before 3,199 Thursday night at the Diamond.

JetHawk relief pitcher John Thompson had escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth with the help of spectacular defense by his teammates, taking a 5-2 lead into the ninth.

But he gave up a two-run home run to Ron Tingley with one out in the inning. He allowed singles to Kevin Young and Randy Betten, sandwiched around the second out.

Failla, who entered the game in the eighth as a pinch-runner, hit a soft fly ball to center field. Sturdivant first broke back, then could not catch up to the ball as it barely eluded his dive.

The JetHawks (14-7) had just escaped a threat in the eighth, when the Storm loaded the bases with one out, bringing Thompson in from the bullpen to face Joe Urso, one of the league’s leading hitters.

Urso hit a drive that was headed for left field until third baseman Carlos Villalobos snared the ball while diving toward the hole.

Shortstop Luis Molina turned a gem to end the inning, ranging deep into the hole and pivoting before firing to second base for a forceout.

The night started almost as badly as it ended for the JetHawks, with the only positive moments coming in between.

Starter Ivan Montane walked seven batters in the first two innings. But Montane made just enough good pitches to escape disaster in the four innings he pitched.

Sprinkled between his walks were six strikeouts and only one hit. He left the game having given up only two runs, just as Brett Hinchliffe had done a night earlier, when he walked the first five hitters of the game but escaped with two runs in five innings.

Montane turned the game over to the finesse-pitching John Daniels just after the JetHawks had scored on Jason Cook’s single in the top of the fifth, giving them a 3-2 lead.

That contrast in velocity with Montane is precisely the reason Daniels has been successful in relief of the power pitcher. He pitched 3 1/3 innings Thursday. He has not allowed an earned run in 17 1/3 innings, 9 1/3 of those in relief of Montane.

The JetHawks, facing a left-handed starting pitcher for only the second time this season, had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Sturdivant and Cook led off with back-to-back singles. Sturdivant scored on Jose Cruz Jr.’s sacrifice fly.

Sturdivant, who drove in another run on a double in the seventh, had three hits for the third consecutive game. Cruz also had three hits.

The JetHawks tied the score in the fourth when catcher Scot Sealy drilled a solo home run, his third, to right-center field.

After Cook’s run-scoring single in the fifth and Sturdivant’s double in the seventh made the score 4-2, the JetHawks added a run on Sealy’s sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Lake Elsinore 6, JetHawks 5

JetHawks 100 110 110 -- 5 11 0

Lake Elsinore 110 000 004 -- 6 9 1

Montane, Daniels (5), Niemeier (8), Thompson (8) and Sealy; Perisho, Vermillion (8), Chavez (9) and Tingley.

W--Chavez (1-0). L--Thompson (0-2).

2B: J--Sturdivant. HR:J--Sealy (3), Tingley (1).

Records: Lake Elsinore 14-7; JetHawks 14-7.