Late rally comes up short against Ports

LANCASTER, Calif. - Lancaster scored twice and put the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it was not enough in a 5-4 loss to the Stockton Ports Tuesday night at The Hangar. The JetHawks have lost four in a row on the heels of a six-game winning streak.

Lancaster (30-21, 63-58) trailed, 5-2, going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Singles from Brian Serven and Manny Melendez put men on at the corners. Bret Boswell came through with an RBI single to make it a two-run game. Colton Welker nearly won it with a deep drive to centerfield, but it was just a sacrifice fly as Stockton's Chase Calabuig made the catch. With the tying run at first base, Tyler Nevin struck out swinging to end the game.
The sacrifice fly was the only at-bat in which Welker did not record a hit. The infielder went 4-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in Tuesday. He leads the California League with 132 hits and a .330 average.
Stockton (24-27, 68-53) jumped in front thanks to a pair of long balls. Edwin Diaz led off the second inning with a home run to left field, and Viosergy Rosa hit a two-run blast in the third. Ty Culbreth (5-7) pitched into the fifth inning, allowing five runs on nine hits in a loss.
The JetHawks scored just once against Xavier Altamirano (4-4), who struck out eight in five innings. He capped off a 102-pitch effort by striking out the side in the fifth.
The loss was Lancaster's fourth in a row, tying the team's longest skid of the season. The defeat ended an eight-game home winning streak as well. The JetHawks are still 1.5 games up on Inland Empire, as the 66ers fell to San Jose Tuesday.
The three-game series continues Wednesday night. The JetHawks send Logan Longwith (3-4) to the mound against Stockton's Evan Manarino (3-6). First pitch at The Hangar is 6:35 pm.