JetHawks shake off rust to claim Game 1

While awaiting their California League semifinal opponent, the Lancaster JetHawks spent four days away from game action. It didn't take them long to get back in the groove.

Chase McDonald finished a triple shy of the cycle, driving in three runs and scoring two, as Lancaster grabbed a 7-3 series-opening win over Inland Empire on Saturday night.

After a scoreless inning and a half, McDonald was in the thick of the JetHawks' attack. He followed Ronnie Mitchell's one-out solo homer in the second with a double and scored as part of a three-run inning. The 22-year-old designated hitter did the heavy lifting in the third, hammering a three-run homer to double Lancaster's lead.

"It was great to jump on them early, put a lot of runs up, give our pitchers some support," McDonald said. "[Inland Empire] just got done [with the first round], had a walk-off win to win their series. They were going to be pretty juiced up, ready to go. It was great to score early and take some of that anxiety and pressure off that we may have built up not playing over the past couple of days."

McDonald added a single in the fifth for his third hit in just his second Cal League game. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound East Carolina product was promoted from Class A Quad Cities ahead of Lancaster's regular-season finale on Sept. 1.

"I'm pretty excited right now," he said. "I got to the last home game, got to watch them play, got a pinch-hit at-bat in the ninth. I was a little anxious, but it was great being able to come in and contribute."

The win not only gave the JetHawks a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 South Division finals, it snapped a four-game skid against the 66ers dating back to a sweep in the final series of the regular season.

"We've got the momentum right now," McDonald said. "We know that we've got to win three games out of the series to advance, and we've got six games to win to win a ring. That's our mind-set. We're 1-for-1 right now. We've got five games left to win and we're going to take this momentum with us."

Astros No. 8 prospect Vincent Velasquez matched a season high by logging six innings. He struck out nine while allowing three runs -- two earned -- on two hits and four walks.

Game 2 is Sunday at Lancaster.

In other California League action:

Visalia 10, Bakersfield 5
The Rawhide rallied for six runs from the seventh inning on to claim the opener of the South Division finals. Rudy Flores homered for the third straight game, going yard twice and driving in four runs. Alex Glenn, George Roberts and Jose Queliz also homered for Visalia. Box score