Santana in Rhythm as JetHawks Starter Sets Down Stampede

Before he started for the JetHawks on Saturday, Marino Santana lay motionless on the trainer’s table, relaxing in the comfort of the air-conditioned clubhouse.

The JetHawks’ right-hander barely exerted more effort once the game began.

Well, that’s how it seemed anyway.

Santana looked like a guy simply crossing items off his shopping list as he methodically retired San Bernardino Stampede hitters for six shutout innings in the JetHawks’ 14-1 victory before 1,636 at Fiscalini Field.

Santana (4-5) scattered four hits, struck out four and walked one, providing a strong encore to his seven-inning, one-run performance Monday. Thanks to some strong defensive support, Santana faced more than three hitters in only one inning Saturday.

In the first, the JetHawks ended the inning throwing out Chip Sell trying to stretch a double into a triple. In the fifth, right fielder Jose Cruz Jr. caught a fly ball and made a strong peg to double Manny Gonzalez off first.

Santana also got plenty of offensive support. Marcus Sturdivant had four hits, and Shane Monahan and James Clifford each had three of the JetHawks’ 17 hits. The JetHawks made the game a rout, scoring seven runs on seven hits in the eighth.

The JetHawks (28-28), who pulled back within one game of the first-place Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, broke on top for the second night in a row. But instead of turning off the offensive spigot as they did Friday, they kept pounding the ball.

Sturdivant led off the third with a double off the fence in center field. Monahan then doubled to the same place, driving in Sturdivant. Monahan has 13 hits in his past 35 at-bats.

Two outs later, Jason Cook hit a sharp hopper down the third-base line that deflected off the glove of Matt McCarty, allowing Monahan to score and Cook to take second base. Clifford then singled into right field, driving in Cook.

In the fifth, Cruz led off with a bullet over the right-field fence for his fourth home run.

Jesus Marquez tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly. Marquez was 11 for 28 with four home runs and 13 runs batted in this week, making his bid to follow Cook as the JetHawks’ second consecutive California League hitter of the week.

The JetHawks’ five runs against San Bernardino starter Ken Sikes in 4 2/3 innings was a vast improvement from when they faced the right-hander at the Hangar on April 30 when he held them scoreless on three hits in seven innings.

Right-hander Jeff Keppen relieved Sikes and the JetHawks went to work on him in the sixth, scoring a run on Sturdivant’s single and stolen base and Monahan’s run-scoring single.

JetHawks 14, San Bernardino 1

JetHawks: 003 022 070 -- 14 17 0

San Bern.: 000 000 010 -- 1 5 2

Santana, Daniels (7) and Sealy, Augustine (8); Sikes, Keppen (5), Brown (8) and Cooney.

W--Santana (4-5). L--Sikes (5-2). S--Daniels (5).

2B: J--Sturdivant, Monahan, Clifford; SB--Sell. 3B: J--Marquez, Sturdivant. HR:J--Cruz (4); SB--Richardson (4).

Records: JetHawks 28-28; San Bernardino 27-28.

* JETHAWKS REPORT: C12