JetHawks’ Defense Fails Again

A ninth-inning defensive meltdown by the Lancaster JetHawks handed the High Desert Mavericks the run that gave them a 6-5 victory on Thursday night before 4,815 at the Hangar.

With the score tied at 5, the Mavericks’ Mike Stoner started the inning by reaching on a routine ground ball when shortstop Luis Molina’s throw was high. Stanton Cameron then hit another grounder that bounced off Molina’s glove. Molina recovered in time to throw out Cameron, but he might have had a double play, or at least a force at second.

Bo Durkac then grounded to third baseman Carlos Villalobos, but instead of taking the easy second out, Villalobos tried to nail Stoner off second base. Villalobos’ throw was high--error No. 2 in the inning--and everyone was safe.

The capper to the inning came when Ron Hartman grounded to Villalobos. He threw to second for a force, but second baseman Chris Dean’s relay sailed toward the JetHawk dugout as Stoner scored.

Three errors in an inning, all by infielders, is not what you expect to see from a team managed by Rick Burleson, a former Gold Glove shortstop. But it’s become a matter of season-long frustration for Burleson.

The JetHawks (32-35) have made 91 errors in 68 games, accounting for 74 unearned runs. And Thursday’s debacle came just a night after they lost on a ninth-inning error by first baseman James Clifford.

The JetHawks threatened in the bottom of the ninth, putting runners at second and third with two out. But Dusty Wathan was thrown out on a great play by shortstop Jason Goligoski, who went into the hole, spun and threw out Wathan by a half step.

Right-hander Javier Gutierrez, making only his second start with the JetHawks, wobbled in the first inning, but then righted himself to have a solid performance.

After Gutierrez gave up Stoner’s two-run homer in the first, he did not give up another hit until the fifth inning. In six innings, he allowed two runs on four hits, striking out seven.

Gutierrez’s 3-2 lead was on the line in the sixth, when Stoner led off with a sinking liner into right field. Miguel Correa allowed the ball to bounce past him to the wall, as Stoner pulled up with a charitably scored triple.

But Gutierrez got an infield pop for the first out, then he gloved a comebacker and chased Stoner into a rundown between third and home. The batter took second while the JetHawks were chasing Stoner, but Gutierrez got out of the inning with a groundout.

But for the third consecutive night, a JetHawk starter left the game with a lead after pitching well, only to have the bullpen blow it.

The JetHawks scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to hand a two-run lead to right-hander Aaron Scheffer. But Scheffer, who had given up six earned runs in 10 1/3 innings in his previous three appearances, walked the first two batters he faced.

He gave up three runs before the JetHawks tied it in the bottom of the inning.