Wooten Silences Big Bats

Keep that air conditioning running.

With a scratchy throat, JetHawk pitcher Greg Wooten explained how he held the best-hitting team in the California League to a whisper of an offense.

After allowing six hits and nearly picking up the first shutout of his career in a 4-2 victory over High Desert, Wooten explained why he couldn’t talk.

“We had the air conditioning turned a little high up at Lake Elsinore,” he said. “My roommate [Eric Clifford] and I didn’t want to get out from under the covers to turn it off.”

Nothing would cool down Wooten on Thursday.

He struck out seven, allowed one earned run and kept the ball on the ground inside hitter-friendly Maverick Stadium.

High Desert had only four fly-outs.

“That’s nice in this park,” said Dave Brundage, JetHawk manager.

The JetHawks (30-30 in the second half, 66-64 overall) trail Lake Elsinore by three games for the Southern Division wild-card spot. There are 10 games left to play.

Wooten (7-3) was especially sharp against Maverick clean-up hitter Chris Kirgan.

Kirgan leads the California League with 32 home runs, including nine against Lancaster, but was silenced by Wooten. He struck out all four times he faced Wooten, taking called third strikes three times.

“Especially that last one,” Wooten said. “He didn’t even swing at one pitch.”

In the second inning, the JetHawks left the bases loaded.

In the third, they atoned.

Shane Monahan singled on the first pitch of the inning, stole second and scored on a bloop single to center field by Jesus Marquez, who scored on a two-out single by James Clifford.

The Mavericks stranded a runner at third base in three of the first five innings. After that, they failed to get a runner past first until the ninth.

With one out and Bryan Bogle at first, Carlos Villalobos committed a two-base throwing error on Roy Hodge’s grounder.

David Lamb singled home Bogle as the Mavericks broke up the shutout moved to within 4-1. Wooten was replaced by Tom Szimanski, who gave up a run-scoring single to Ray Suplee.

Szimanski loaded the bases before getting Doug Newstrom to fly out and striking out Chris Bryant to end the game.

“There were a lot of deep breaths and a lot of fingers crossed,” Brundage said. “We couldn’t afford to take any steps backward.”

JetHawks 4, High Desert 2

JetHawks: 002 000 200 -- 4 10 3

High Desert: 000 000 002 -- 2 8 1

Wooten, Szimanski (9) and Wathan; Dean, Olszewski (7), Maine (9) and Newstrom.

W--Wooten (7-3). L--Dean (10-6). S--Szimanski (9).

2B: JH--Monahan; HD--Lamb.

Records: JetHawks 30-30; High Desert 35-26.

* JETHAWK REPORT: C11