JetHawks Complete Rally at 11th Hour

It was fitting that a wild game ended on a wild pitch.

Steve Montgomery’s errant pitch with the bases loaded allowed the JetHawks to score the winning run in a 6-5, 11-inning victory over the High Desert Mavericks on Friday night before 5,093 at the Hangar.

The JetHawks (23-25) loaded the bases in the 11th after two were out on two walks and a hit batsman. Montgomery’s 2-and-0 pitch to Carlos Villalobos eluded catcher Frank Harper and allowed Jesus Marquez to score without a play.

JetHawk right-hander John Thompson (3-6) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

The JetHawks needed to score three runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game. Shane Monahan provided the clutch hit, a two-out, run-scoring single that drove in pinch-runner Mike Lanza with the tying run.

The first two runs scored on an opposite-field double by catcher Dusty Wathan. The ball rolled among the JetHawk relievers in the bullpen, and High Desert Manager Joe Ferguson protested the game, presumably because he felt the ball should have been called dead when it went into the bullpen, allowing only one run to score.

The JetHawks started well, which was quite a change from left-hander Trey Moore’s two previous starts against the Mavericks.

Moore had allowed 16 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, for a 30.86 earned-run average. In his seven starts against the rest of the Cal League, Moore’s ERA is 1.90.

But he was cruising in the sixth, having fanned No. 3 hitter Mike Berry for his sixth strikeout when Bryan Bogle blooped the Mavericks’ third hit of the night, into right field.

Four hits later, a 2-1 JetHawk lead had turned into a 5-2 deficit. The big hits were Chris Kirgan’s two-run double and Matt Raleigh’s two-run home run, his second of the game.

Moore, who lasted seven innings and gave up five earned runs, actually lowered his ERA against High Desert to 16.20.

High Desert’s Francisco Saneaux allowed two runs in the first, but then pitched six scoreless innings.

In the first, Jason Cook hit a solo home run, his fifth of the season and first since June 25. It was only his second hit in his past 43 at-bats. Cook had three hits and two walks in the game.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

JetHawks 6, High Desert 5

High Desert 010 004 000 00 -- 5 8 2

JetHawks 200 000 030 01 -- 6 12 1

Saneaux, Olszewski (8), Montgomery (8) and O’Toole, Harmer (11); Moore, Morgan (8), Beck (9), Thompson (10) and Wathan, Augustine (9).

W--Thompson (3-6). L--Montgomery (5-5).

2B: HD--Kirgan; J--Clifford, Wathan. HR:HD--Raleigh 2 (7).

Records: High Desert 26-23; JetHawks 23-25.