JetHawks Tee Off on Bakersfield

There are games when baseball teams score a lot of runs with a combination of well-placed hits, aggressive baserunning and careful execution.

This wasn’t one of them for the JetHawks.

They simply mashed the baseball Tuesday night, drilling shots that looked like golf tee shots on their way to a 9-8 victory over the Bakersfield Blaze before 658 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The JetHawks survived a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth by Alex Cabrera off John Thompson, who retired the next three batters.

The JetHawks turned an early 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 lead with a display that would give any pitcher nightmares. Bakersfield’s Steve Arffa was the one chucking up the gopher balls this time.

With one out in the third inning, Jason Cook walked and scored on a double by Carlos Villalobos. Jesus Marquez knocked a double off the right-center-field fence, scoring Villalobos. Scott Smith lifted a moonshot that hit the top of the center-field fence, going for a run-scoring double.

Scot Sealy did Smith one better, hitting the ball in the same direction, but over the fence for a two-run home run, his eighth and first since June 5.

Shawn Buhner followed with an identical shot, his second home run. As the inning ended, Arffa yelled an expletive as he walked off the mound. It was his last word of the night. He was yanked in favor of Bob Oldham, a right-hander who had been knocked out of the Blaze rotation because of an 8.04 earned-run average.

He didn’t fare much better, giving up two more runs on Villalobos’ second double in the fourth.

The JetHawks got so hit-happy that in the fifth, catcher Dusty Wathan launched a shot that he obviously thought was yet another home run, but the ball smacked off the fence and Wathan was thrown out at second.

Oldham held the JetHawks to one run over the next three innings as Bakersfield fought back against JetHawk starter Brett Hinchliffe.

The Blaze began the sixth with four consecutive singles, pulling to within 8-4. Bakersfield added a run on a sacrifice fly, but Hinchliffe struck out Kirk Kinard with the bases loaded.

JetHawks 9, Bakersfield 8

JetHawks: 006 200 100 -- 9 15 2

Bakersfield: 100 112 003 -- 8 13 1

Hinchliffe, Daniels (7), Thompson (8) and Wathan; Arffa, Oldham (4), Bush (8), Maine (9) and Johnson.

W--Hinchliffe (7-8).L--Arffa (0-3).

2B: J--Villalobos 2, Marquez, Smith, Wathan; B--Watts.HR:J--Sealy (8), Buhner (2); B--Watts (4), Paxton (8), Cabrera (5).

Records: JetHawks 8-6; Bakersfield 2-12.

* JETHAWKS REPORT: C7