JetHawks Win Zany One, 14-3

Thursday was finally a good night to be a JetHawk.

After three weeks of miserable luck and miserable baseball, the JetHawks’ fortunes turned quickly enough to give you whiplash just watching.

In beating the San Jose Giants, 14-3, before a paid crowd of 3,469 at the Hangar, the JetHawks not only got excellent pitching and hitting, but they were fortunate to be on the right end of a pair of crazy plays that the umpiring crew appeared to botch.

The JetHawks, who had lost 17 of 20 before Thursday, pounded out 14 hits. Jose Cruz Jr. had his second consecutive three-hit game, including his third home run.

Starter Ken Cloude (4-2) pitched six strong innings, giving up two runs and striking out six.

While the JetHawks did enough to win on their own, what the umpires gave them was more intriguing.

In the first inning, Scot Sealy hit a drive toward left-center field. Giant outfielders raised their arms as if to motion that the ball had bounced over the fence. But base umpire Rob Drake ruled the play a two-run home run, causing San Jose Manager Carlos Velazco to angrily argue the call.

Things got really weird in the fourth. With Cruz at second and Sealy at first and one out, Carlos Villalobos hit a drive to deep left-center that was caught by Tim Garland.

Sealy, obviously thinking the ball had dropped, passed Cruz, who had stopped halfway between second and third.

Drake didn’t call Sealy out for passing Cruz. Sealy began retracing his steps to first base, but the Giants’ throw there sailed into foul territory because no one was covering the bag.

As the ball kicked around near the JetHawk dugout, Cruz scored--without ever going back to touch second base after the catch--and Sealy went to second. When the ball went into the dugout, Sealy took third.

Jason Cook, who had three hits, drove in Sealy with a double to make the score 9-1.

JetHawks 14, San Jose 3

San Jose: 001 001 001 -- 3 8 4

JetHawks: 222 330 11x -- 14 14 1

Hartvingson, Gomez (3), Bailey (6), Martin (8) and Mayes, Ibarra (8); Cloude, Niemeier (7), Gould (8) and Augustine.

W--Cloude (4-2).L--Hartvingson (2-3).

2B: SJ--Alguacil, Ibarra; J--Sturdivant, Cruz, Marquez, Cook. 3B: J--Lanza. HR:J--Sealy (6), Cruz (3).

Records: San Jose 30-17; JetHawks 22-26.