JetHawks Dig Another Hole

It’s almost as if the Lancaster JetHawks enjoy having their backs against the wall.

For the third time within a week, the JetHawks find themselves in another precarious situation.

The High Desert Mavericks defeated Lancaster, 7-2, on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five semifinals of the California League playoffs.

The Mavericks, who finished with the best record in the California League (83-57), continued to dominate their neighbors to the West, winning for the fourth consecutive time against the JetHawks.

Lancaster had five hits against High Desert. Maverick starter Jason Robbins went five innings and struck out eight, allowing a run in the fifth.

Robbins (8-5) continued his string of impressive performances. In his past eight outings he has not allowed more than three earned runs.

Meanwhile, Lancaster’s high-wire act in the playoffs continued. The JetHawks had to win a one-game playoff against Modesto to qualify for the postseason.

Then in their wild-card victory over Stockton on Thursday night, the JetHawks scored a run in the ninth to tie the score and went 11 innings before advancing with a 3-1 victory in that three-game series.

All this to face a well-rested High Desert club that had been off for four days. High Desert is 11-1 this season in games following a day off.

Not helping matters for the JetHawks was a series of blunders. There were dropped pop flies, defensive lapses and base running errors sprinkled throughout the game.

Joe Mathis was the only JetHawk with two hits, including a double in the third.

James Clifford added a solo home run over the right-field fence in eighth, and Tarrick Brock and Joel Ramirez each had singles for Lancaster.

JetHawk Notes

Tonight’s starters: Lancaster (Joe Mays, 7-4, 4.86 earned-run average) vs. High Desert (Jeff Sobkoviak, 14-6, 4.28). . . . Game time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. . . . In the other California League semifinal, Rancho Cucamonga defeated San Bernardino, 3-2.