Buhner the Hero Once, but No Encore

Shawn Buhner, who was the hero a night earlier, grounded out with the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position Sunday afternoon, ending the Lancaster JetHawks’ 5-4, 13-inning loss to the Stockton Ports before 4,394 at the Hangar.

After Stockton’s Sergio Guerrero drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the 13th, the JetHawks (2-2) mounted a rally in the bottom of the inning.

Chris Dean led off with a single. After an out, James Clifford was hit by a pitch. Yuni Kim’s groundout moved the runners to second and third with two out.

JetHawks Manager Rick Burleson then brought Buhner off the bench to pinch-hit. On Saturday night, Buhner’s two-out single in the bottom of the ninth snapped a one-for-11 slide and gave the JetHawks a 6-5 victory over the High Desert Mavericks. But he couldn’t repeat his heroics against Stockton.

Leadoff hitter Joe Mathis led the JetHawks’ 10-hit attack with four hits, including his second home run of the season. Mathis’ run-scoring single in the bottom of the 10th tied the game after the Ports (2-2) had scored in the top of the inning.

Dean and Kim also continued to be hot at the plate. Dean, who was two for five, improved to eight for 15 in the past three games. Kim, who was two for six, now has seven hits in his last 14 at-bats.

Clifford, who missed the last two games because of a sore left foot after he was hit by a pitch Thursday night, returned to the lineup and went hitless in five at-bats.

Left-hander Denny Bonilla (0-1) took the loss despite a solid three innings of relief. He gave up one run on three hits.

Starter Eric Morgan, new to the rotation after relieving for most of his professional career, gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Allan Westfall (one unearned run in 1 2/3 innings) and Jason Bond (one earned run in three innings) also pitched for the JetHawks.

The JetHawks and Ports conclude the two-game series at 7:15 tonight at the Hangar. Right-hander Chris Beck, a former standout at The Master’s College, will start for the JetHawks.