Bottom of the Order Gives JetHawks Lift

Bottom’s up.

Led by the bottom of the order, the JetHawks beat the Bakersfield Blaze, 5-3, in 10 innings Wednesday night before a paid crowd of 3,367 at the Hangar.

Jesus Marquez, the No. 7 hitter, hit a two-run home run in the 10th and a solo shot in the seventh. Marquez, who has three home runs in the past two games, had three hits.

Luis Figueroa, the No. 6 hitter, led off the 10th with a double, his third hit of the game. Andy Augustine and Mike Lanza, batting in the eighth and ninth spots, combined for five hits.

With their fourth victory in a row, the JetHawks (27-27) pulled within 1 1/2 games of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the California League’s Southern Division.

The JetHawks took a 3-2 lead into the ninth, but Juan Espinal greeted reliever Tom Szimanski with a solo home run to left field. Szimanski, who converted his first five save opportunities, has now blown two in a row.

The JetHawks had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth, when pinch-hitter Adonis Harrison led off with a double. The JetHawks loaded the bases with two out, but Shane Monahan grounded out to end the inning.

Marquez’s solo home run, his fifth of the season, had given the JetHawks a 3-2 lead in the seventh. It was their first lead of the night.

Until then the JetHawks struggled to hit Bakersfield left-hander Rob Kell, managing just seven hits and two runs through six innings.

But the JetHawks stayed close on the strength of Chris Beck’s best start of the season. Beck gave up two runs in seven innings without walking a batter. Beck scattered six hits and struck out three.

He would have given up only Ryan Hendricks’ solo home run, but shortstop Lanza bobbled a potential inning-ending double play in the third and allowed a second run to score.

The JetHawks scored in the bottom of the inning when Augustine singled, went to third on Lanza’s single and scored on an overthrow by Bakersfield right fielder Doug Carroll.

They tied the game, 2-2, in the fifth when Lanza doubled and scored on Marcus Sturdivant’s groundout.

JetHawk designated-hitter Scot Sealy was ejected in the sixth after arguing a called third strike.

As he was leaving the game, Sealy heaved a bat out of the dugout onto the field. Monahan replaced Sealy, allowing Monahan to continue his streak of playing in every game.

JetHawks 5, Bakersfield 3

Bakersfield: 002 000 001 0 -- 3 9 3

JetHawks: 001 010 100 2 -- 5 15 0

Kell, Gomez (8), Maine (9) and Paxton, Harmer (8); Beck, Niemeier (8), Szimanski (9), Gould (10) and Augustine, Steinmann (10).

W--Gould (1-1).L--Maine (2-2).

2B: B--Gonzalez; J--Lanza, Figueroa 2, Harrison. HR:B--Hendricks (1), Espinal (11); J--Marquez 2 (6).

Records: Bakersfield 15-38; JetHawks 27-27.