JetHawks Drop Out of the Race

LANCASTER — James Clifford committed an error in the ninth inning that allowed Jamie Gann to score and give the High Desert Mavericks a 5-4 victory over the Lancaster JetHawks in a California League game at The Hangar on Wednesday night.

The loss eliminated the JetHawks from winning the first-half race of the Valley Division. Lancaster is 4 1/2 games behind Stockton with four games left.

Junior Spivey was jammed on a pitch by Alan Westfall (0-2) and hit a slow grounder that found a seam between Clifford and second baseman Chris Dean. While Clifford fumbled the ball in short right field, Gann scored from second base.

Damaso Marte pitched his best game this season for the JetHawks, giving up three hits and one earned run in seven innings. He had seven strikeouts.

The JetHawks (32-34) scored two unearned runs in the first inning off High Desert starter Vladimir Nunez. Lancaster led until the seventh inning when Stanton Cameron hit a two-run home run to center field to give High Desert (36-30) its first lead, 4-3.

The JetHawks tied the score in the eighth when Miguel Correra hit a home run.

Lancaster has lost three consecutive games, matching its longest streak of the season. The JetHawks are 8-18 in one-run games.

High Desert closed to within one-half game of Stockton in the Valley Division standings.

Mark Davis, former Cy Young award winner with the San Diego Padres, pitched 1 1/3 innings to pick his second victory this season.