JetHawks Support Wooten in Rout

The police dog-attacks-padded-burglar demonstration in the middle of the first inning was a success: Nobody got hurt.

Then again, damage had already been done. And it would continue.

The JetHawks scored in the top of the first and went on to score plenty more in a 7-1 victory over the High Desert Mavericks before 2,838 Saturday night at Maverick Stadium.

The JetHawks (6-5) won their third game in a row thanks to a steady offense and the even-steadier arm of newcomer Greg Wooten.

Wooten (2-0) allowed eight hits in eight innings. He struck out three and gave up the Mavericks’ lone run, which came in the eighth.

He was teased by teammates for not logging a complete game, but his first two performances have been no joke.

“From a pitching standpoint, that’s what you want--consistency,” said JetHawk Manager Dave Brundage.

The offense was stable as well.

Shane Monahan led off the sixth with a single and scored on Jason Cook’s triple to the right-field corner. Cook scored three batters later on shortstop David Lamb’s fielding error to make it 3-0.

The Jethawks went up, 4-0, in the eighth on Doug Carroll’s home run, his 11th. They added three runs on four hits in the ninth.

The Mavericks (3-8) had two scoring chances in the middle of the game.

In the fifth, Lamb was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base on Jesus Garcia’s single. Jesus Marquez made an accurate throw from right field.

“That was probably the turning point of the game,” Brundage said. “It could have been a 1-1 ballgame, but the momentum switched back in our favor.”

It stayed there with the help of another solid play from the outfield in the sixth. This time, Monahan caught Mike Berry’s shallow fly ball and doubled Doug Newstrom off first base. Newstrom likely would have scored when the next batter, Chris Kirgan, doubled off the center-field wall.

Wooten, who was called up from Appleton, Wis., and pitched his first game--a victory over Visalia--on Monday, is thrilled with the combined results: three earned runs in 14 innings.

“So far, it’s been great,” he said. “I’m not trying to strike guys out. I just throw my game and make them hit my pitches.”

JetHawks 7, High Desert 1

JetHawks: 100 002 013 -- 7 12 2

High Desert: 000 000 010 -- 1 8 3

Wooten, Thompson (9) and Augustine; Saneaux, Montgomery (8), Darley (9), Olszewski (9) and Newstrom.

W--Wooten (2-0). L--Saneaux (1-2).

2B: J--Cook, Marquez; HD--Berry, Kirgan. 3B:J--Lanza. HR:J--Carroll (11).

Records: JetHawks 6-5; High Desert 3-8.