Sixers Comeback Comes Up Short in Lancaster

Lancaster, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino trailed the Lancaster JetHawks on Thursday at the Hangar 7-0 through five innings and fought back but in the end fell 7-5 with the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth. The 66ers scored five runs over the final three innings but also struck out nine times over that span.
The JetHawks (34-37, 1-0) scored a pair of unearned runs in the first off Sixers' starter Simon Mathews (0-2) and then kept up the assault scoring a pair of runs in the second and the third highlighted by a two-out, two-out single by Alan Trejo on an 0-2 count in the second and solo homer by Brian Serven (5^th) in the third. Brett Stephens chased Mathews in the fifth with a one-out triple, he later scored on Steven Linkous' RBI single against Sixers' righty Blake Smith for a 7-0 lead. Smith and Matt Bower held the JetHawks down over the final 3.2 innings however combining to fan six batters. Inland Empire (33-38, 0-1) chiseled into the lead beginning in the seventh as Ty Culbreth, who had tossed six scoreless tired and walked back-to-back batters to open the frame and then allowed a run on David MacKinnon's RBI double. Alberto Triunfel then lashed a two-run double on the first pitch that reliever Salvador Justo threw out of the pen to make it 7-3; Justo went on to strike out the side. In the eighth Jordan Zimmerman belted a solo shot to center against reliever Juan Pena to make it 7-4, but Justin Lawrence came in for Lancaster and struck out the side. In the ninth Reid Humphries walked Jahmai Jones who stole second and came home on Jo Adell's RBI single to right to make it 7-5. Humphries, however struck out Zimmerman representing the tying run to strikeout the side for the staff's third consecutive inning ending the contest and notching his 14^th save.
The series continues Friday at 6:35 pm. The contest can be heard live at 66ers.com.