Close Not Enough for JetHawks

Progress didn’t give the JetHawks a victory.

Though they lost, 5-4, to the Stockton Ports on Friday night before a crowd of 5,297 at the Hangar, the JetHawks did more right than wrong.

The game’s critical moment was in the top of the ninth. Jermaine Swinton, Stockton’s 6-foot-3, 265-pound designated hitter who had struck out four times, drove John Thompson’s 1-and-2 pitch over the right-field scoreboard.

“It was a slider a little up and we wanted to throw it in the dirt,” catcher Dusty Wathan said. “J.T. made good pitches all night. He made one mistake and paid for it.”

It gave Swinton nine home runs and 32 runs batted in, good for the league lead in both categories.

Though the JetHawks (19-17) played much better than they had lately, they lost their fourth in a row and eighth in nine games.

“We played better defense, Ivan [Montane] pitched a nice game, it was much better all around,” Manager Dave Brundage said. “We seem to be hitting better but we’re still not getting the big hits when we need them.”

For the eighth consecutive game, the JetHawks fell behind early when the Ports scored two runs on Mike Rennhack’s two-out double in the first.

But the JetHawks didn’t roll over this time, fighting back with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Shane Monahan doubled home one run and Jesus Marquez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the other.

After the Ports took a 3-2 lead in the top of the second, Monahan gave the JetHawks their first lead in four days with a two-run single in the fourth.

JetHawk starter Montane was pulled after giving up three runs and striking out seven in six innings.

But reliever Jeff Pearce gave up Alex Andreopoulos’ run-scoring single in the seventh, which tied the game, 4-4.

The JetHawks, who made at least one error in each of their previous 13 games, played flawless defense.

Stockton 5, JetHawks 4

Stockton: 210 000 101 -- 5 12 0

JetHawks: 200 200 000 -- 4 8 0

Gardner, Cana (3), Drysdale (6), Sadler (9) and Andreopoulos; Montane, Pearce (7), Thompson (7), Niemeier (9) and Wathan.

W--Drysdale (2-0). L--Thompson (1-3). S--Sadler (4).

2B: J--Monahan, Villalobos, Cook. HR:S--Swinton (9).

Records: Stockton 18-17; JetHawks 19-17.

* JETHAWKS REPORT: C11