Overdue Buhner Reigns on Storm

Those hits must have been building up in Shawn Buhner’s bat.

The JetHawk first baseman had a hit on July 13, then nothing for the next 33 days. He spent most of that time on the disabled list, but since his activation last Friday, had gone 14 more at-bats without a hit.

But Friday night, Buhner had three hits and drove in three runs, sparking the JetHawks to a 7-5 victory over the first-place Lake Elsinore Storm at the Hangar.

“I’ve been feeling pretty good, Buhner said. “I’ve been taking a lot of [batting practice]. I don’t think my timing has been messed up. I just hadn’t had any luck getting hits. It was nice to get some hits. It had been a long time.”

Buhner had a double, single and triple in his first three at-bats, then grounded to third base in the eighth in his attempt to be the first JetHawk to hit for the cycle.

“I don’t ever swing for the fences,” Buhner said. “I’m not that good. I don’t think I’ve ever swung for the fences and hit a home run.”

The JetHawks (26-28) took a 4-3 lead in the sixth on Buhner’s first triple of the year. They then blew the game open in the eighth with three runs, including Scott Smith’s homer.

Jesus Marquez added two hits for the JetHawks and drove in his 100th run.

“It’s a very special thing for me,” Marquez said. “It’s like a dream come true. It’s not every season you can get 100 RBIs,” said Marquez, who kept the ball.

JetHawk starter Ken Cloude, coming off a 10-run, two-inning performance Sunday that would have to rank as his worst outing of the season, recovered nicely. Cloude (14-4) pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.

“I felt a whole lot more ready,” Cloude said. “I had a good first inning for once. It felt like forever since I’d been in the fifth inning after that last game.”

He came out after 116 pitches and turned the game over to Tom Szimanski, who pitched a scoreless eighth. John Thompson then gave up two runs with two out in the ninth, but he struck out Cale Carter looking with the potential tying runs on base.

The JetHawks took a 1-0 lead in the third on Buhner’s run-scoring double.

Cloude shut out the Storm through the fourth, but then gave up three runs in the third. Greg Morris led off with a double and scored on Paul Failla’s single. Cloude then got the next two outs before surrendering a home run to designated hitter Ty Van Burkleo.