Link Report for Games of Thursday, July 22nd

[tlpc4]

Chris Barnwell said. ?We just battled."

 

Barnwell knows what to say to get a promotion.

[gregmag]

SB -- P. Fielder (9).

[MassBrew]

Daily Press High Desert Game Story:

 

Mavericks lose sight of win over JetHawks

Van Iderstine, Crabbe hit HR's in High Desert's loss

By TIM HARAN/Staff Writer

 

ADELANTO ? It was a bittersweet evening for Ben Van Iderstine.

 

Arriving in California three weeks ago, the former Northern League outfielder belted his first home run as a Maverick on Thursday night and also learned quickly what havoc a setting sun can wreak in the High Desert.

 

Lancaster's Jon Zeringue in the top of the fifth inning lifted a deep fly to left. The ball dropped behind Van Iderstine, who lost the ball in the twilight sky. It turned into a two-run triple for Zeringue, who later scored on a single by Jay Garthwaite, capping a four-run inning.

 

"It happens all the time, not just to us, at twilight time," High Desert manager Mel Queen said. "That was the whole ballgame right there."

 

High Desert (10-17), despite blasting a pair of home runs and making a late charge, fell to Lancaster 7-5 in the series finale at Mavericks Stadium.

 

"There always seems to be a couple innings where it starts to get dark and I totally lost sight of it as soon as it went up in the air," Van Iderstine said. "It's a pretty helpless feeling. I feel bad about it, but there's not much I could do. It's a tough break."

 

But the Mavs didn't throw in the towel. Callix Crabbe knocked a solo home run deep over the right field wall in the sixth and High Desert ignited for three runs in the next frame.

 

Trailing by four in the seventh, the Mavs' John Vanden Berg drew a lead-off walk and Van Iderstine reached on an error. Troy Farnsworth then smacked a double to left, driving in two runs. Farnsworth scored on an Enrique Cruz sacrifice fly to pull High Desert to within a run.

 

That's all High Desert would get. Lancaster added a one-out insurance run in the ninth after Crabbe, thinking there were two outs, failed to turn a double play.

 

"It makes it easier on (closer Justin Wechsler)," Queen said of the mental mistake. "If it was a one-run lead, I'm not sure he would have thrown Vanden Berg a 3-2 breaking ball. If he walks him, now you've got the tying run on."

 

High Desert scored first, as it had done in the previous three games of the series, on Van Iderstine's two-out solo home run in the bottom of the second inning.

 

"It's my first home run in organizational ball, so it's a big thrill for me," he said. "I've been hitting the ball pretty good but haven't hit a home run. It's kind of the monkey off my back."

 

Lancaster's Jay Garthwaite tied the game with a solo shot of his own in the fourth before the JetHawks posted a four-run fifth in which the team sent nine batters to the plate.

 

High Desert threatened in the bottom half of the fifth, but couldn't capitalize on a lead-off double by Van Iderstine. With runners on first and third with two outs, the Mavs attempted a double steal and Farnsworth was thrown out at the plate.

 

Sam Smith (2-3), pitching on three days rest, allowed just one run in five innings for the JetHawks. He struck out three and picked up the win after being tagged with the loss in the series opener on Monday.

 

For the Mavs, Greg Bruso (0-2) surrendered four runs in five innings of work. He struck out five and walked one.

 

High Desert, after winning the first two games of the series, came away with a disappointing split against Lancaster.

 

"If you win the first two, you should win one of the next two," Queen said. "And we had our chances. We just didn't do it."

 

"Both the games we lost were close games that could have gone either way," Van Iderstine said. "We've just got to take the positives from the series and move on."

 

NOTES: Lancaster manager Wally Backman wasn't at the ballpark on Thursday. He was reportedly having his calf, which he injured last week, evaluated by doctors.

 

John Galayda/Staff Photographer

The Mavericks' Callix Crabbe steals second base Thursday night as Lancaster's Matt Morgan applies a late tag.

 

http://www.vvdailypress.com/storypics2/072304_mavs.jpg

[DHonks]

some notes...Enrique Cruz with a walk, a sacrifice, and a stolen base.

 

Kade Johnson back up to .250!!! definitely needs to be given a shot in AAA next year for us.

 

and Barnes with only 3 K...what's up with that?