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Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Mavs hold on for victory Tense moments between teams early in game By KRIS REILLY/Staff Writer ADELANTO ? It didn't take long for High Desert's series with Lancaster to get interesting. Tempers flared between the JetHawks and Mavericks early in the game, and High Desert built a commanding lead that it nearly squandered. The Mavericks held on to beat the JetHawks 7-6 in the opener of a four-game set at Mavericks Stadium on Monday night. Mavs catcher Froilan Villanueva was hit by a Sam Smith pitch in the first inning, which quickly drew several Mavericks onto the field from the bullpen. Villanueva glared at Smith, and both benches were warned by the umpires. There's been bad blood between the two squads in the past, particularly in a May 9 game at Lancaster when a total of four batters were hit and the Mavericks accused the JetHawks of stealing signs. A total of 11 JetHawks have been hit by Mavericks pitchers this season, and Lancaster has hit nine High Desert batters. "I don't think (Smith) was throwing at Villanueva, but they have thrown at us a lot," Mavericks manager Mel Queen said. "When you do that and then you hit someone and it's not intentional, everybody thinks it is. But I don't think this was intentional." High Desert starter Jesse Harper hit Matt Morgan later in the game, but it was deemed unintentional by home plate umpire Jeffrey Macias. Harper (3-2) went six innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking one. He allowed just one hit in the first four innings as the Mavs built a 7-0 lead. "I thought the team played outstanding tonight," Harper said. "They got me off to a great lead. I struggled a bit there in the sixth and didn't help them out, but that's baseball. All in all, I thought my teammates played great and that's why we won." Lancaster got to Harper with a run on three hits in the fifth inning and two runs on three hits in the sixth. High Desert lost to Stockton on Friday and Saturday after holding leads of 4-0 and 3-0, and late in Monday's game it looked as though another lead would disintegrate. Reliever Dan Kolb put runners at first and second with one out in the eighth before lefty Michael Kusiewicz entered the game for the Mavericks. Kusiewicz struck out one batter, then gave up a three-run homer to left by Steve Garrabrants, which closed the gap to 7-6. High Desert's fourth pitcher, Homero Rivera, gave up a lead-off single to Jon Zeringue in the ninth and then pulled off an unusual double play when he grabbed a comebacker by Sean Luellwitz and threw out Zeringue at first. Rivera then got Jay Garthwaite to ground out and completed his fourth save of the season. High Desert's Enrique Cruz and Callix Crabbe each hit home runs off Smith in the fourth, and outfielder Kennard Bibbs tripled in the same inning. Bibbs was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored. Travis Hinton and Ben Van Iderstine had two hits apiece. "It seems it's been happening a lot lately where we get some good pitching early and some good hitting early, then we kind of choke in the end," said Van Iderstine, who had two RBIs. "But we got the seven runs early which helped us glide along, and we were able to pull it out." NOTES: High Desert ace Manny Parra will miss some time with a sore shoulder. The left-hander, rated by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system, is 5-2 this season with a 3.48 earned run average. Queen said Parra could pitch if he had to, but the Mavericks won't take any any chances with the left-hander. It's uncertain how many starts Parra will miss. ... Lancaster's run in the fifth inning ended the High Desert pitching staff's season-high streak of 13 consecutive innings without allowing a run. ... Villanueva extended his hitting streak to seven games. ... The Mavericks, who won the series finale at Stockton on Sunday, will try to win three in a row for the first time this season as they continue their series with Lancaster at 7:05 p.m. tonight (9:05 Central) at Mavericks Stadium. ... High Desert will be at home until July 25; the seven-game home stand is the Mavericks' longest of the season. Scott Smeltzer/Victor Valley Daily Press Staff Photographer Enrique Cruz high fives Kennard Bibbs after hitting a home run in the fourth inning against Lancaster. http://www.vvdailypress.com/storypics2/072004_mavs.jpg

Indianapolis Post-Game Notes: Corey Hart dropped a routine fly ball from Wilson Valdez Monday night, allowing Charlotte's Kelly Dransfeldt to plate what proved to be the game winning run in the eighth inning, as the Knights held on to defeat Indianapolis, 4-3. Indianapolis pitching gave up eight walks, but only one Charlotte batter converted the base on balls to a run scored. Both teams scored three runs in the second inning. The Tribe plated three off IL All-Star Felix Diaz as Luis Figueroa, Matt Erickson and Dave Krynzel each contributed run producing singles in the frame. The Tribe threatened to score in both the eighth and ninth innings. Peter Bergeron was picked off second base in the eighth and Luis Figueroa was stranded at second base to end the game. Kelly Dransfeldt homered off Matt Childers in the second and doubled in the eighth off Todd Erdos to lead the Knights attack. "I tell you what, Erdos got the first two guys out with some good pitches," said Dransfeldt. "He was throwing good stuff. It's good to get a win here and not have to go into extra innings. We needed a break and I hope that this will help get some momentum going." Erdos (0-4) was tagged with the loss for Indianapolis, which has now lost a season-high seven games to fall to 42-52 and 10 games off the pace in the IL West Division. Charlotte improved to 46-51. The two teams meet in the rubber game of the two-game set at Charlotte. The Tribe will send right-handed pitcher Wes Obermueller (0-1, 9.00) to the hill Tuesday night.

More Helena details from the Provo Herald: Jason Franchuk DAILY HERALD Minor league baseball coaches continually warn their players to remain humble. Success at the rookie league level for players like those on the Angels can be fleeting. Any momentum Provo (15-15) had fled from Miller Field in a hurry Monday in the first game of a doubleheader, which Helena won 4-0. The Brewers then captured the second game, 6-4. So much for that three-game winning streak, when Provo batted as if it was smacking a ball off a tee. But Brewers righthander Robert Hinton put an end to that in the first game, surrendering only two hits in 5+ innings pitched. Per Pioneer League rules, both games only went seven innings. In the first game, Provo finished with three hits; the second one, four. Shortstop Sean Rodriguez, not surprisingly, had one of them in Game 1. Amazingly, though, he only went 1-for-3 then hitless in two official at-bats in the second game. The league's player of the week entered with a .473 batting average. He even grounded into his first double play of the season, in the sixth -- the second consecutive inning the Angels turned that trick in the first game. Helena carried a 1-0 lead into the fifth when Jake Serfass blasted his first home run as a professional, hitting a pitch that sailed to straight away center field 400 feet away that extended the Brewers' lead to 4-0. The crowd was much larger for the second game (1,178), and voiced its opinion a little more. But that didn't help Provo win, or get base hits. In the second game, Helena again carried a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning. Then it struck for more. After the first Brewer was retired, three consecutive singles were recorded. The third one, by Serfass, went through the Provo pitcher's legs and into center field to score another run. An intentional walk and an error by Provo first baseman Chris Walston followed and the four-run inning was capped by Agustin Septimo's RBI single. Helena escaped harm in Provo's half of the fourth despite some questionable defensive strategy. With one out and a runner on first, Provo's Ben Johnson hit a hard grounder to the second baseman. The Angels had a hit-and-run on, so the obvious out was at first base. But Septimo tried to get Cliff Remole at second base. Both runners were safe, and it seemed like the crowd -- and the Angels bats -- had good reason to wake up. But Helena euthanized them, inducing a fielder's choice and strikeout to keep the one-run lead intact. Provo scored its first run of the night in the fifth. Michael Hughes led off with a double. Really, it was a one-base hit but his hustle earned him the extra 90 feet. He advanced to third base on a wild pitch then scored on a deep flyout by Nate Sutton. For Hughes, an undrafted free agent from Illinois-Chicago, the base hit was welcome news. He entered the day hitting .116. But the thrill of the hit wouldn't last long. In the sixth, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound rightfielder injured his left shoulder while diving for a ball. The extent of the injury and how much time he would miss -- if any -- was not immediately known. The Angels threatened in the seventh by loading the bases with one out. A fielder's choice and single each scored a run, cutting Helena's lead to 6-4. It would stay that way after another fielder's choice. A ground ball up the middle was recovered by the Brewers' shortstop and he barely beat Johnson to the base for the final out. The second game was one marked by missed chances. Helena stranded 14 runners; Provo nine. Rodriguez was named the league's player of the week after going 16-for-30 from July 11-17. He tallied 13 RBI, along with two doubles, a triple and a home run. But not even he could carry his team. Success comes and goes.

Helena Independent Republic Game Summary: Brewers take twin bill from Provo By IR Staff The Helena pitchers came to play on Monday, leading the Brewers to a double-header sweep over Provo. Robert Hinton pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout baseball in the Brewers 4-0 game-one win and Josh Baker did not allow a hit in four innings of work in Helena's 6-4 victory in game two. Grant Richardson hit a three-run home run to give the Brewers a 3-0 lead in the first game. The advantage was more than enough for Hinton who allowed just three hits and struck out four to improve to 2-2 on the season. Dallas Bates gave Helena a 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the third inning of the night cap. Richardson drove in his fourth run of the day with an RBI double as part of a four-run fifth. Helena took a 6-2 lead into seventh and final inning and held off an Angels' rally that saw them score two runs and bring the winning run to the plate. The Brewers improved their record to a Pioneer League best 18-12 and took a 2-1 lead in the four-game series. Helena can claim the series with a win in today's finale at 7:05 p.m. (8:05 Central).

WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 52 42 .553 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 52 45 .536 1.5 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 46 49 .484 6.5 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 42 52 .447 10.0[/b] WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 14 9 .609[/b] BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 14 9 .609 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 11 11 .500 2.5 *MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 9 14 .391 5.0 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 8 15 .348 6.0 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB *LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 14 9 .609 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 14 9 .609 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 14 10 .583 .5 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 11 13 .458 3.5 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 9 15 .375 5.5[/b] WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 16 8 .667 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 16 8 .667 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 13 11 .542 3.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 13 11 .542 3.0 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 11 13 .458 5.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 11 13 .458 5.0 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 10 14 .417 6.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 10 14 .417 6.0[/b] NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 18 12 .600[/b] BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 16 13 .552 1.5 GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 14 15 .483 3.5 MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 12 17 .414 5.5 W L PCT GB RANGERS (TEXAS) 15 8 .652 GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO) 15 8 .652 ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 13 9 .591 1.5 MARINERS (SEATTLE) 13 10 .565 2.0 [b]BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 11 11 .500 3.5[/b] ATHLETICS (OAKLAND) 11 11 .500 3.5 PADRES (SAN DIEGO) 10 12 .455 4.5 CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 9 14 .391 6.0 ANGELS (ANAHEIM) 4 18 .182 10.5

Tuesday's Daily Menu : only High Desert at home... INDIANAPOLIS: RHP Wes Obermueller at Charlotte (White Sox), 11:15 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate Audio Link (Knights' feed): www.charlotteknights.com/.../index.htm HUNTSVILLE: LHP Matt Ford at Mobile (Padres), 7:05 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP David Bradley at home vs. Lancaster (Diamondbacks), 9:05 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: TBD at Cedar Rapids (Angels), 7:00 PM Audio link (Kernels' feed): www.kernels.com/radio.html HELENA: LHP Jared Theodorakas at Provo (Angels), 8:05 PM Audio link (Angels' feed): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...me=pangels ARIZONA ROOKIE: TBD at the Royals' complex, 10:30 AM

Final: Arizona Rangers 5, Arizona Brewers 4, 10 innings Arizona Brewer Box Score: SS Lenny Leclercq on base three times but still struggling in the field (12 errors in 18 games); Ten of Stephen Chapman's 19 base hits have gone for extra bases, as the 2004 6th round OF has rebounded in a big way from a slow start -- I'm excited; must I really review with you Hernan Iribarren's numbers again? Two extra-base hits among his three knocks in this one. Callix Crabbe, Will Lewis, Iribarren -- why must some of the organization's most exciting offensive infielders be locked into second base? Can we move Iribarren to 3B tomorrow, please? Pretty please?! BREWERS 4 AT RANGERS 5 (EXTRA INNINGS) YTD YTD BREWERS AB R H BI AVG RANGERS AB R H BI AVG S.Chapman CF 5 2 2 1 .244 L.Rodriguez SS 4 0 1 0 .277 H.Iribarren 2B 5 1 3 2 .478 K.Herren CF 4 0 0 0 .297 F.Parejo LF 5 0 2 1 .276 K.Mahar LF 5 1 2 0 .286 C.Gallardo 1B 5 0 1 0 .333 F.Thon 1B 4 1 3 1 .349 J.Rivera PR 0 0 0 0 .128 E.Martinez PR 0 1 0 0 .242 F.Tua 1B 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Hurba CAT 4 1 0 0 .269 N.Corredor CAT 5 0 1 0 .310 A.Sanchez DH 4 0 0 0 .240 B.Opdyke DH 5 0 0 0 .189 J.Higashi PH 0 0 0 0 .583 O.Vicioso 3B 4 1 1 0 .182 M.Gomez 3B 5 1 2 3 .316 J.Blanc RF 3 0 0 0 .240 W.Backman 2B 4 0 1 0 .242 L.Leclercq SS 2 0 1 0 .220 J.Torres RF 3 0 0 0 .222 B.Diggins PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Scheffel PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Malave PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Melendez PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Rogers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 E.Adames PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Garner PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 SHLACT PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Jaimes PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 39 4 11 4 TOTALS 37 5 9 4 BREWERS 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0- 4 11 2 RANGERS 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 1- 5 9 0 E--L.Leclercq 2. DP--BREWERS 1, RANGERS 2. LOB--BREWERS 8, RANGERS 10. 2B--S.Chapman (4), H.Iribarren (5), F.Parejo 2 (10), L.Leclercq (2), F.Thon (6). 3B--S.Chapman (5). HR--H.Iribarren (3), M.Gomez (1). SB--F.Parejo (3), L.Leclercq (4), K.Mahar (4), F.Thon (2), W.Backman (1). SH--C.Hurba. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA BREWERS B.Diggins 2.1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0.00 R.Malave 1.2 1 2 1 2 1 1 4.85 M.Rogers 2.1 4 2 1 0 5 0 1.42 J.Garner (L,2-2) 3.0 3 1 1 1 1 0 1.80 RANGERS D.Scheffel 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 4.50 M.Melendez 2.0 3 1 1 1 2 1 6.10 E.Adames 2.0 4 2 2 0 0 0 6.87 SHLACT 3.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 2.25 J.Jaimes (W,4-0) 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1.38 WP--M.Rogers. PB--N.Corredor. SO--H.Iribarren, C.Gallardo, N.Corredor, J.Blanc, K.Herren 2, K.Mahar, A.Sanchez 3, W.Backman, J.Torres 2. BB--J.Blanc, L.Leclercq 2, L.Rodriguez, K.Herren, F.Thon, J.Higashi, J.Torres. T--3:11.

Final, Game Two: Helena 6, Provo (Angels) 4 Big sweep for the first-place Brewers with the first-half playoff berth deadline looming; Brewers outhit the Angels 15-4 in this seven-inning nightcap... Helena Game Two Box Score: We've been waiting for this line from 2004 RHP Josh Baker; Carlos de la Cruz -- one game at 1B, three games each at 3B and OF, three relief appearances; Tony Festa on-base four more times... GAME DATE: 7/19/04 HEL at PRV HELENA 6 AT PROVO 4 DH GAME #2 YTD YTD HELENA AB R H BI AVG PROVO AB R H BI AVG D.Bates CF 4 1 1 1 .328 R.Giannotti CF 3 1 0 0 .268 A.Festa 3B 3 0 2 0 .314 N.Sutton 3B 3 0 0 1 .359 G.Richardson DH 5 0 3 0 .387 S.Rodriguez SS 2 1 0 0 .456 A.Mannon RF 5 2 2 0 .308 A.Toussaint DH 2 1 1 1 .319 C.Lozada 1B 5 1 1 0 .333 C.Remole LF 3 0 0 0 .241 J.Serfass LF 3 1 2 1 .271 B.Johnson CAT 3 0 1 1 .245 G.Acosta SS 3 1 1 0 .194 R.Leahy 2B 4 0 1 1 .389 A.Segura Cor CAT 4 0 1 2 .289 C.Walston 1B 2 0 0 0 .227 A.Septimo 2B 4 0 2 1 .217 M.Hughes RF 2 1 1 0 .127 J.Baker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Renz RF 1 0 0 0 .295 C.De La Cruz PIT 0 0 0 0 .150 W.Layman PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Murray PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Pawelczyk PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Mutter PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Douglas PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Requena PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 36 6 15 5 TOTALS 25 4 4 4 HELENA 0 0 1 0 4 1 0- 6 15 1 PROVO 0 0 0 0 1 1 2- 4 4 2 E--A.Septimo, R.Giannotti, C.Walston. DP--HELENA 0, PROVO 0. LOB-- HELENA 14, PROVO 9. 2B--A.Festa 2 (12), G.Richardson (9), M.Hughes (3). HR--D.Bates (2). CS--G.Richardson. HBP--S.Rodriguez, A.Toussaint, B.Johnson. SF--N.Sutton. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HELENA J.Baker 4.0 0 0 0 2 3 0 4.15 C.De La Cruz (W,1-0) 2.0 2 2 2 1 2 0 4.50 B.Murray 1.0 2 2 2 2 1 0 8.49 PROVO W.Layman (L,0-1) 3.2 5 1 1 2 5 1 2.40 K.Pawelczyk 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 9.00 C.Mutter 0.1 4 4 3 1 1 0 9.95 J.Douglas 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 0 9.00 R.Requena 2.1 6 1 1 0 2 0 10.54 HB--J.Baker 2, C.De La Cruz. WP--C.De La Cruz, B.Murray, J.Douglas. BALKS--K.Pawelczyk. SO--D.Bates 2, G.Richardson, A.Mannon, C.Lozada, J.Serfass, G.Acosta 2, A.Septimo, R.Giannotti 2, N.Sutton, C.Walston 2, M.Hughes. BB--D.Bates, A.Festa 2, J.Serfass, G.Acosta, R.Giannotti, S.Rodriguez, A.Toussaint, C.Remole, C.Walston. T--2:38. A--1178Helena Game Two Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=16655

Final, Game One: Helena 4, Provo (Angels) 0 Helena Game One Box Score: University of West Virginia free-agent signee Jake Serfass with a huge insurance blast... GAME DATE: 7/19/04 HEL at PRV HELENA 4 AT PROVO 0 DH GAME #1 YTD YTD HELENA AB R H BI AVG PROVO AB R H BI AVG S.Sollmann 2B 3 0 1 0 .293 R.Giannotti CF 3 0 0 0 .231 A.Festa 3B 4 1 1 0 .306 C.Remole 1B 2 0 1 0 .278 G.Richardson 1B 4 0 3 1 .381 S.Rodriguez SS 3 0 1 0 .417 A.Mannon RF 3 1 1 0 .302 A.Toussaint 3B 2 0 1 0 .273 C.Lozada DH 3 1 0 0 .308 T.Duff CAT 3 0 0 0 .275 J.Serfass LF 3 1 1 3 .209 C.Maher DH 3 0 0 0 .304 C.Fermaint CF 3 0 0 0 .244 J.Leblanc 2B 3 0 0 0 .288 C.Blevins CAT 3 0 0 0 .194 J.Renz RF 2 0 0 0 .261 A.Escobar SS 3 0 2 0 .262 M.Perdomo LF 2 0 0 0 .189 R.Hinton PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Greene PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Hawk PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 W.Hedden PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Carney PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Cox PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 29 4 9 4 TOTALS 23 0 3 0 HELENA 1 0 0 0 3 0 0- 4 9 2 PROVO 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 3 3 E--A.Escobar, R.Hinton, A.Toussaint 2, M.Perdomo. DP--HELENA 2, PROVO 1. LOB--HELENA 8, PROVO 5. 2B--G.Richardson (7), A.Mannon (9), S.Rodriguez (6). HR--J.Serfass (1). HBP--J.Renz. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HELENA R.Hinton (W,2-2) 5.2 2 0 0 2 4 0 3.33 T.Hawk 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 PROVO N.Greene (L,2-1) 2.1 5 1 1 2 2 0 2.03 W.Hedden 1.2 1 0 0 2 0 0 0.57 F.Carney 2.0 3 3 2 0 2 1 5.40 J.Cox 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8.44 HB--R.Hinton. WP--N.Greene. SO--S.Sollmann, C.Fermaint, C.Blevins, A.Escobar, R.Giannotti 2, A.Toussaint, C.Maher 2, J.Leblanc. BB-- S.Sollmann, A.Mannon, C.Lozada, J.Serfass, C.Remole, A.Toussaint. T--2:02.Helena Game One Game Log: RHP Robert Hinton set the tone early pitching out of trouble in the first; Grant Richardson thrown out at home with no one out in the third -- we'll blame the third-base coach... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=16654

Final: Lansing (Cubs) 4, Beloit 3 Beloit Site Game Summary and Player of the Game Info: www.snappersbaseball.com/...me_id=1358 Beloit Box Score: RHP Greg Moreira, just turned 21, really has been one of the organization's best surprises this year -- nice to see the 2001 10th round pick enjoy some success... GAME DATE: 7/19/04 LAN at BLT LANSING 4 AT BELOIT 3 YTD YTD LANSING AB R H BI AVG BELOIT AB R H BI AVG C.Walker CF 5 0 0 0 .284 T.Trofholz DH 4 0 2 0 .311 T.McQuade RF 5 2 2 1 .287 W.Campana SS 4 1 1 0 .250 B.Dopirak 1B 4 1 1 2 .309 D.Anderson LF 4 0 0 0 .292 F.Salas 2B 5 1 1 1 .280 M.Ramirez 1B 0 0 0 0 .261 J.Fox CAT 4 0 1 0 .259 V.Rottino 1B 4 1 3 2 .292 C.Rojas SS 4 0 1 0 .214 A.Heether 3B 4 1 1 0 .255 A.Tidball DH 2 0 0 0 .214 S.Moss CF 4 0 1 1 .229 A.Garcia 3B 4 0 1 0 .279 W.Lewis 2B 3 0 0 0 .359 R.Fitzgerald LF 4 0 0 0 .265 C.Corporan CAT 2 0 0 0 .218 C.Marmol PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Rodriguez PR 0 0 0 0 .255 Y.Ferreras PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Deevers RF 4 0 0 0 .212 C.Villanueva PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 G.Moreira PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 4 7 4 TOTALS 33 3 8 3 LANSING 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0- 4 7 1 BELOIT 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0- 3 8 4 E--A.Garcia, W.Campana, V.Rottino, R.Deevers, G.Moreira. DP--LANSING 1, BELOIT 1. LOB--LANSING 9, BELOIT 6. 2B--T.McQuade (10), T.Trofholz (9), A.Heether (22), S.Moss (10). HR--T.McQuade (3), B.Dopirak (27), F.Salas (2), V.Rottino (11). SB--W.Lewis (4). CS--T.Trofholz. HBP-- A.Tidball, W.Lewis, C.Corporan. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LANSING C.Marmol (W,9-5) 7.0 6 1 1 1 7 0 3.92 Y.Ferreras (S,1) 2.0 2 2 2 0 2 1 4.50 BELOIT C.Villanueva (L,6-6) 3.0 4 4 3 0 2 3 4.75 G.Moreira 6.0 3 0 0 2 2 0 4.11 HB--C.Marmol, Y.Ferreras, G.Moreira. PB--J.Fox. SO--T.McQuade, F.Salas, A.Garcia, R.Fitzgerald, W.Campana 3, D.Anderson 2, V.Rottino, A.Heether, C.Corporan, R.Deevers. BB--B.Dopirak, A.Tidball, C.Corporan. T--2:16. A--1767Beloit Game Log: A season-long real problem -- RHP Carlos Villanueva already led the league in HR's allowed before surrendering three more tonight -- 17 allowed at this point in the Midwest League in 72 IP is really, really, poor... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=12507

Final: High Desert 7, Lancaster (Diamondbacks) 6 The Mavs will try again Tuesday for that season-long elusive third win in a row... High Desert Box Score: Another solid starting effort for RHP Jesse Harper... GAME DATE: 7/19/04 LNC at HD LANCASTER 6 AT HIGH DESERT 7 YTD YTD LANCASTER AB R H BI AVG HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG D.Richar SS 5 0 0 0 .290 K.Bibbs CF 4 2 3 0 .281 S.Garrabrant 3B 4 1 2 3 .255 C.Crabbe 2B 2 2 1 2 .285 D.Brooks LF 5 1 1 0 .297 J.Eure 3B 4 0 0 0 .245 J.Zeringue DH 5 1 2 0 .389 T.Hinton 1B 3 2 2 1 .316 S.Luellwitz 1B 3 0 0 1 .271 F.Villanueva CAT 3 0 1 0 .252 J.Garthwaite RF 5 1 1 0 .287 B.Van Iderst LF 4 0 2 2 .328 P.Avlas CAT 4 0 2 1 .305 T.Farnsworth DH 4 0 0 0 .203 M.Morgan 2B 3 1 1 1 .240 M.Mendez RF 4 0 0 0 .259 J.Ball CF 3 1 2 0 .292 E.Cruz SS 4 1 1 1 .219 S.Smith PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Harper PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Holsten PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Kolb PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Wechsler PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 M.Kusiewicz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 H.Rivera PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 37 6 11 6 TOTALS 32 7 10 6 LANCASTER 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0- 6 11 1 HIGH DESERT 3 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 X- 7 10 2 E--M.Morgan, J.Eure, M.Mendez. DP--LANCASTER 1, HIGH DESERT 1. LOB--LANCASTER 9, HIGH DESERT 5. 2B--J.Zeringue (6), J.Garthwaite (9), P.Avlas (15), M.Morgan (7), T.Hinton (24), B.Van Iderst (9). 3B-- K.Bibbs (7). HR--S.Garrabrant (1), C.Crabbe (4), E.Cruz (8). SB-- T.Hinton (3). HBP--M.Morgan, F.Villanueva. SF--S.Luellwitz. SH-- C.Crabbe. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA LANCASTER S.Smith (L,1-3) 3.0 8 7 6 2 1 2 4.88 R.Holsten 4.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 6.05 J.Wechsler 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.16 HIGH DESERT J.Harper (W,3-2) 6.0 7 3 3 1 5 0 4.47 D.Kolb 1.1 2 2 2 2 1 0 5.92 M.Kusiewicz 0.2 1 1 1 0 1 1 4.28 H.Rivera (S,4) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 5.49 HB--S.Smith, J.Harper. SO--D.Richar 2, S.Garrabrant, J.Zeringue, J.Garthwaite, P.Avlas 2, B.Van Iderst, M.Mendez 2, E.Cruz. BB-- S.Garrabrant, S.Luellwitz, J.Ball, C.Crabbe, T.Hinton. T--2:24. A--1025High Desert Game Log: RHP Dan Kolb did have a clutch 7th inning, despite 8th inning trouble... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=17925

Final: Mobile (Padres) 2, Huntsville 1 Huntsville Site Game Summary: With one swing, Josh Barfield ended Huntsville?s four-game winning streak. The Bay Bears? hot second base prospect, Barfield connected for a two-run homer, accounting for all Mobile?s runs in a 2-1 victory over the Stars on Monday night at Hank Aaron Stadium. Huntsville (14-9, 46-47) fell into a first-place tie with Birmingham in the Southern League West second-half standings. Stars starter Dennis Sarfate pitched around five walks over the first three innings, tossing no-hit shutout ball. With the game still scoreless in the fourth, Bear Rico Washington blooped a leadoff single to right. On a 3-1 pitch from Sarfate, Barfield hit a towering homer to left-center, his 14th of the year, for a 2-0 Mobile lead. ?Barfield?s been very selective against us,? Stars pitching coach Fred Dabney said, ?He worked the count against Sarfate, and he got a fastball out over the plate. When we make a mistake, he doesn?t miss.? Huntsville rallied in the sixth, with a leadoff single from Prince Fielder and Jamie Gann?s walk. On a 2-2 pitch with the runners moving, Chris Barnwell struck out and Fielder was caught stealing third. Ryan Knox singled on the infield, sending Gann to third, then Ozzie Chavez singled home Gann and sent Knox to third. Kade Johnson walked to load the bases, but pinch-hitter Johnny Raburn grounded to first to end the threat. The Bears bullpen closed out the game. Jack Cassel tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Alan Webb recorded the final out of the seventh. R.D. Spiehs threw a perfect eighth, and Brad Baker notched his 22nd save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Starter Mike Thompson (6-0) picked up the win, surrendering one run on five hits and three walks with no strikeouts in five innings. Huntsville?s bullpen also pitched scoreless ball. Brian Adams authored 1 2/3 perfect innings, and Paul Stewart allowed two hits and fanned two over three shutout innings. Starter Dennis Sarfate (4-9) suffered the loss, permitting two runs on three hits and five walks while fanning three over 3 1/3 innings. Stars lefty Matt Ford (1-2, 3.72) meets Bears righty Brian Whitaker (5-7, 3.96) in game two of the series Tuesday night at Hank Aaron Stadium. Game time is 7:05 p.m. and the FPH Financial Services Pre-game Show starts at 6:50 p.m. Stars baseball can be heard on ESPN 1450 and at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: OK, Stars fans, fill us in -- RHP Jason Shelley a pinch-hitter? Where's Brad Nelson tonight? And didn't most of us see this kind of pitching season for Dennis Sarfate coming with the skip of High Desert? GAME DATE: 7/19/04 HVL at MOB HUNTSVILLE 1 AT MOBILE 2 YTD YTD HUNTSVILLE AB R H BI AVG MOBILE AB R H BI AVG R.Weeks 2B 4 0 0 0 .254 K.Jones CF 3 0 1 0 .239 A.Gwynn CF 4 0 0 0 .256 M.Nettles LF 3 0 1 0 .211 P.Fielder 1B 4 0 3 0 .270 B.Johnson RF 2 0 0 0 .235 J.Gann RF 3 1 0 0 .300 G.Sain 1B 3 0 0 0 .222 C.Barnwell 3B 4 0 0 0 .249 R.Washington 3B 4 1 1 0 .266 R.Knox LF 4 0 2 0 .266 J.Barfield 2B 2 1 1 2 .247 O.Chavez SS 4 0 1 1 .214 R.Merrill SS 3 0 1 0 .252 K.Johnson CAT 3 0 1 0 .245 N.Trzesniak CAT 3 0 0 0 .195 D.Sarfate PIT 1 0 1 0 .150 M.Thompson PIT 2 0 0 0 .091 B.Adams PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Cassel PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Raburn PH 1 0 0 0 .273 A.Webb PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 P.Stewart PIT 0 0 0 0 .111 J.Gerber PH 1 0 0 0 .237 J.Shelley PH 1 0 0 0 .000 R.Spiehs PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Baker PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 33 1 8 1 TOTALS 26 2 5 2 HUNTSVILLE 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0- 1 8 2 MOBILE 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 X- 2 5 1 E--D.Sarfate, P.Stewart, N.Trzesniak. DP--HUNTSVILLE 1, MOBILE 1. LOB--HUNTSVILLE 9, MOBILE 6. 2B--P.Fielder (19), D.Sarfate (1). HR--J.Barfield (14). CS--P.Fielder, K.Johnson, K.Jones. SH--M.Nettles. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HUNTSVILLE D.Sarfate (L,4-9) 3.1 3 2 2 5 3 1 5.12 B.Adams 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.42 P.Stewart 3.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2.84 MOBILE M.Thompson (W,6-0) 5.0 5 1 1 3 0 0 3.08 J.Cassel 1.2 2 0 0 1 2 0 3.65 A.Webb 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 5.29 R.Spiehs 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.47 B.Baker (S,22) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.50 WP--J.Cassel. SO--R.Weeks, J.Gann, C.Barnwell, R.Knox, K.Jones, M.Nettles, B.Johnson, R.Merrill, N.Trzesniak. BB--R.Weeks, J.Gann, K.Johnson, B.Adams, K.Jones, B.Johnson 2, G.Sain, J.Barfield. T--2:47. A--1956Huntsville Game Log: The top of the order wastes Sarfate's leadoff double in the third; Prince Fielder and Kade Johnson with critical caught stealing's -- "Frankie-ball" is exasperating at times... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=15799

Final: Charlotte (White Sox) 4, Indianapolis 3 Man, oh, man -- I do worry about Cecil Cooper's state of mind at this point... Sports Network Game Wrap: Kelly Dransfeldt scored the game-winning run on an error by Corey Hart and the Charlotte Knights topped the Indianapolis Indians, 4-3, in International League action on Monday night. Indianapolis (42-52) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Luis Figueroa drove home the Indians' first run of the game with an RBI single that plated Mark Johnson. Figueroa scored two batters later when Matt Erickson slapped a base hit through the right side. Dave Krynzel capped off the rally with a run-scoring single of his own. Charlotte (46-51) answered in the bottom half of the inning. Jonathan Aceves belted a solo home run with one out to cut the lead to 3-1. Aaron McNeal followed by drawing a walk, then Dransfeldt quickly tied the game by depositing Matt Childers' 1-0 pitch over the left field wall. The home run was Dransfeldt's third of the season. The score remained tied until the bottom of the eighth. Todd Erdos looked as if he was going to cruise through the inning by striking out both Aceves and McNeal, however, Dransfeldt smoked a double to the gap in right center field to set up the go-ahead run. Wilson Valdez followed by lofting a routine fly ball to right, but a costly error by Hart allowed Dransfeldt to score. Jeff Bajenaru came on in the ninth and sealed the win for Ryan Kohlmeier. Kohlmeier (3-9) tossed one inning of scoreless relief. The save was Bajenaru's first for the Knights. Erdos suffered the loss and is still looking for his first win (0-4) for the Indians this season. The two teams wrap up their short two-game series on Tuesday at 12:15 PM (ET). Indianapolis Box Score: RHP Matt Childers' role hasn't been clearly defined all season... GAME DATE: 7/19/04 IND at CHR INDIANAPOLIS 3 AT CHARLOTTE 4 YTD YTD INDIANAPOLIS AB R H BI AVG CHARLOTTE AB R H BI AVG D.Krynzel CF 4 0 2 1 .304 W.Valdez SS 5 0 1 0 .336 P.Bergeron LF 4 0 3 0 .241 B.Nelson DH 2 0 0 0 .298 C.Hart RF 2 0 0 0 .274 B.Smith 2B 4 0 0 0 .258 B.Gemoll 1B 4 0 0 0 .269 J.Borchard CF 2 0 0 0 .266 M.Johnson DH 4 1 1 0 .263 R.Taylor RF 3 0 0 0 .298 L.Figueroa SS 4 1 2 1 .259 M.Valenzuela LF 4 0 1 0 .247 T.Durrington 2B 1 0 1 0 .191 J.Aceves CAT 4 1 1 1 .299 M.Erickson 3B 4 1 1 1 .262 A.McNeal 1B 3 1 1 0 .215 A.Delgado CAT 4 0 0 0 .178 K.Dransfeldt 3B 4 2 2 2 .276 M.Childers PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 F.Diaz PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Weibl PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 R.Kohlmeier PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Erdos PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Bajenaru PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 31 3 10 3 TOTALS 31 4 6 3 INDIANAPOLIS 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 3 10 1 CHARLOTTE 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 X- 4 6 0 E--C.Hart. DP--INDIANAPOLIS 2, CHARLOTTE 0. LOB--INDIANAPOLIS 6, CHARLOTTE 11. 2B--P.Bergeron (6), M.Johnson (14), K.Dransfeldt (13). HR--J.Aceves (6), K.Dransfeldt (3). SB--C.Hart (14), W.Valdez 2 (6), B.Nelson (10). SH--T.Durrington. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA INDIANAPOLIS M.Childers 5.0 3 3 3 5 2 2 5.65 C.Weibl 2.0 2 0 0 2 3 0 3.71 T.Erdos (L,0-4) 1.0 1 1 0 1 2 0 9.09 CHARLOTTE F.Diaz 7.0 8 3 3 3 3 0 3.41 R.Kohlmeier (W,3-9) 1.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 6.12 J.Bajenaru (S,1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 PB--A.Delgado. SO--D.Krynzel, C.Hart, B.Gemoll 2, J.Borchard, R.Taylor, M.Valenzuela, J.Aceves 2, A.McNeal, K.Dransfeldt. BB--C.Hart 2, T.Durrington 2, B.Nelson 3, B.Smith, J.Borchard 2, R.Taylor, A.McNeal. T--2:47. A--3358Indianapolis Game Log: A brutal Peter Bergeron pick-off in the 8th -- David Krynzel picked off earlier... www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=14219

From Jim Powell on the Arizona Brewers today: Ben Diggins -- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K Mark Rogers -- 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

Beloit Daily News Game Story: Lugnuts tighten defense Beloit falls, 3-1 By Ryan Frey Daily News correspondent The fans arriving early to Pohlman Field at least received part of what they wanted Sunday afternoon - a Rickie Weeks bobble-head doll. The rest of the crowd of 3,135 walked away completely empty handed. On a warm and sunny July afternoon, Lansing pitcher Ronald Bay made the 80 degree temperature feel a whole lot warmer for the Snappers as he held them to one run in a 3-1 victory. Beloit starter Dana Eveland (6-5) kept his team close. Only two of three runs charged to him in six innings were earned and he allowed just five hits. The 3,135 fans in attendance saw the Snappers actually out-hit the Lugnuts, 6-5, but they couldn't come through in the clutch. Lansing went up 1-0 in the first inning as Tony McQuade reached on an infield single, stoke second and scored on a base hit by Francisco Salas. Eveland regrouped and struck out the side and appeared to have brought his ``A'' game to the ballpark. Beloit tied it up in the third inning against Bay. Terry Trofholz singled to right and stole second - his 36th of the season. Moments later, Drew Anderson drove Trofholz home with his second hit of the afternoon. The Lugnuts quickly broke the tie, scoring in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Uriak Marquez singled and scored on a double by Alan Rick. The Snappers managed only two more hits over the final six innings against the Lugnuts' Bay and Clay Rapada. Beloit hitting coach Tony Diggs said the Snappers needed to be more aggressive. ``Bay hit his spots and threw his fastball, breaking ball, and changeup all for strikes,'' Diggs said. ``Whenever you're doing that, you keep hitters off balance. We took some decent swings, but nothing very aggressive. They had two extra-base hits, and we only could get one. We just ran into a good pitcher today.'' Lansing added its final run in the sixth inning. Marquez doubled and scored an unearned run when Rick reached on an error by the Beloit first baseman Manuel Ramirez. The inning could have been worse for Beloit. Second baseman Guilder Rodriguez made a stellar diving play for the second out of the inning. ``That was a great play for us,'' manager Don Money said. ``It was do or die and he dove to his left to make a nice play. It basically prevented at least one more run from scoring.'' Still, the one run gave the Lugnuts pitchers added breathing room heading into the final four innings. After striking out nine in six innings, Eveland was replaced by Simon Beresford to start the seventh inning. He held the Lugnuts hitless and scoreless the rest of the way. ``I just wanted to keep us in the game by putting some zeros on the board,'' Beresford said. ``We just came up short.'' ``He kept us in the ballgame and gave us a chance,'' Money said. ``We just couldn't get the runs we needed today.'' NOTES: The Snappers were able to pull off a 9-5 victory over the Lugnuts on Saturday night, despite being outhit 14-7. Beloit took advantage of six bases on balls and a pair of errors. A five-run fourth inning put Beloit on top to stay, 7-1. Will Lewis led the Snappers, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBIs. Anderson was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Robby Deevers belted his third home run. Reliever Mitch Stetter (3-0) picked up the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Huntsville Times Game Story: Stars pack up some Biscuits for the road Huntsville completes sweep before leaving on 12-game trip By DANNY PARKER For The Times It's on almost everyone's agenda to get out of town for some vacation time during the summer. You know the feeling. You have your trip planned and your bags are packed. You just can't wait to get out on the highway and beat that traffic. The Stars faced a similar dilemma on Sunday at Joe Davis Stadium. They had to catch a bus out of town late in the night to take them on their latest summer journey. Only their road trip is going to be work and not vacation - 12 games in 12 days. "It's going to be a long one," Stars manager Frank Kremblas said. Before the Stars could leave town, they had some unfinished business with the Montgomery Biscuits. Starter Ryan Costello did his part, tossing a three-hitter as Huntsville won 3-0 in a little less than two hours in front of an announced crowd of 1,201. The win completed a four-game sweep of the Biscuits. The Stars now have a one-game lead over Birmingham as they improved to 14-8 in the second half and 46-46 overall. "(Costello) threw outstanding," Kremblas said. "They didn't have too many good swings. He got a lot of ground ball outs, which tells you he is keeping the ball down with a little movement late. And he mixed in some off-speed (pitches) when he needed to." Montgomery shortstop Jace Brewer's double with one out in the ninth marked the first time in the game Montgomery had a player in scoring position. Fernando Cortez then grounded out to short to move Brewer over to third and put the shutout in jeopardy. "I wanted to keep (Brewer) at third," Costello said. "I did not want to think about the runner at third base. I just wanted to keep my mind on the task at hand, which (was) keeping my mind on the glove. Once my thoughts start wondering in my mind is when things start going awry. I was able to keep my mind pretty focused tonight." Chairon Isenia, who will catch for The Netherlands in the Olympics, conveniently rolled into the ninth ground ball out of the game as Costello earned the first Huntsville complete game of 2004. The 6-foot-6 lefty struck out a season-high 11 to improve to 5-3. Costello went to a three-ball count four times while throwing 100 pitches and allowing two walks. Biscuits starter John Webb held the Stars hitless until the fourth inning. After four straight Stars grounded out to shortstop, Tony Gwynn Jr. singled up the middle with one out in the fourth inning. Prince Fielder followed with a two-run homer to right for his 15th home run of the season. Ryan Knox doubled with one out in the fifth inning. Ozzie Chavez singled to move Knox to third. Kade Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to score Knox with the final run. The Stars' Dennis Sarfate (4-8) takes the mound tonight at 7:05 in Mobile against Mike Thompson (5-0) to kick off the road trip.

Monday's Daily Menu : INDIANAPOLIS: TBD at Charlotte (White Sox), 6:15 PM Audio link: www.newstalk1430.com/ Alternate Audio Link (Knights' feed): www.charlotteknights.com/.../index.htm HUNTSVILLE: RHP Dennis Sarfate at Mobile (Padres), 7:05 PM Audio link: www.espn1450.com/ HIGH DESERT: RHP Jesse Harper at home vs. Lancaster (Diamondbacks), 9:05 PM Audio link: www.hdmavs.com/listen_live.htm BELOIT: TBD at home vs. Lansing (Cubs), 7:00 PM Audio link (Lugnuts' feed): www.lansinglugnuts.com/ HELENA: RHP Robert Hinton is scheduled to start one of the two games in tonight's twinbill at Provo (Angels), 7:05 PM; TBD the other... Audio link (Angels' feed): www.sportsjuice.com/provi...me=pangels ARIZONA ROOKIE: Baseball America listed RHP Ben Diggins at the Surprise complex against the Rangers, 10:30 AM -- Mark Rogers to see action?

From the Stockton Record: Stockton left fielder Cameron Coughlan said Khalid Ballouli had too much in his arsenal for the Ports to get a read on him. "He was throwing four pitches for strikes -- a fastball with sink, a changeup, a slow curve and a slider," Coughlan said. "Plus he was getting the ball down and hitting his spots."

Daily Press High Desert Game Story: Mavericks even up roadtrip record From staff reports STOCKTON ? After routinely getting outstanding pitching performances from their starters, the High Desert Mavericks finally have a victory to show for it. Khalid Ballouli and Nick Slack combined to allow the fewest hits of the season. But the game was still scoreless until the ninth. That's when Enrique Cruz hit a two-run double to not only give the Mavericks the lead but also the victory, 3-0 on Sunday night at Billy Hebert Field. The shutout is the second this season for High Desert. Slack picked up the win to improve to 2-4 as he pitched two scoreless innings. Ben Kozlowski took the loss. He gave up all three runs in the top of the ninth. Kozlowski was in his third inning of relief when High Desert (8-15) finally got on the scoreboard. Troy Farnsworth led off the inning with a single to left. Mario Mendez, attempting to bunt him to second, ending up reaching first when Kozlowski had no play. After Pete Rasmusen forced Mendez at second, Cruz delivered the game-winning hit. He drove a Kozlowski pitch to the left-field wall. Farnsworth scored easily while Rasmusen barreled into home plate for the second run. Cruz went to third on the throw home. Kennard Bibbs followed with an RBI single giving the Mavs a 3-0 advantage. The victory was the second on the road trip that the Mavericks went into the ninth scoreless with an opponent. On Wednesday, Manny Parra had thrown eight shutout innings before High Desert scored three runs in the ninth to beat Bakersfield. Ballouli went one inning shorter than Parra but was just as effective. He threw seven innings, scattering three hits while striking out three. The Mavericks finished 3-3 on the Northern Division road trip and return home today for a four-game series with South Division-leading Lancaster.

David Weiser's www.starsboxscore.com Huntsville update: DON'T BLINKThe starting rotation has been a patchwork of various bodies all season with injuries to Mike Jones, Matt Ford, Chris Saenz, and even Jason Shelley, who was a starter last year, and Greg Bruso, Manny Parra, and Ben Diggins, who started the season on the disabled list...... Eleven different pitchers had gotten the starting call this year, still far from the record of 18 set in 1999, but of the original rotation the Stars went with at the start of the season, only Jeff Housman and Dennis Sarfate are still there ....... Plugging holes throughout the season had an adverse effect as the Stars fell from among the best three teams in ERA early in the season to 6th best now, and only the fine job the bullpen has done kept from getting any worse......... Most of the mid-season pick-ups wound up in the bullpen, leaving Tim Bausher, who won only one start before becoming a semi-permanent part of the mix, then was waived, Glenn Woolard, a late-May pick-up who only this month has earned a role, and Ryan Costello, called up from High Desert where he had an ERA over 9.00. He threw five scoreless innings over the Diamond Jaxx at the Joe, getting the win in his debut, May 2, and held the G'Braves scoreless over six innings in a 3-0 shutout victory, May 15....... There was also a start against Montgomery at the Joe on June 1, when he took a 1-hitter into the 7th, and his longest appearance also at home on June 30, when he gave up just one run over seven innings against Mobile........ But month-to-month results revealed his inconsistency. A 4.63 ERA in May, 4.09 in June, and 8.68 alongside two losses in his two starts this month........Costello, as you can see, turned out to be a much better pitcher at home (3-2, 3.50) than he was on the road (1-1, 7.77). So it was expected of him to do well tonight. He was due. And he paid off grandly. Ryan Costello pitched the masterpiece of the season........ While you generally reserve this praise for no-hitters, Costello had one going for four innings....... Eric Reece, the first batter in the 4th, broke it up with a single past the glove of Ozzie Chavez near the bag, so there was no future issue about the hit........ In the end, he gets a three-hit complete game shutout, striking out 11, a season-high, throwing 99 pitches, 68 for strikes...... One reason this game went by so fast is that Costello and Montgomery starter John Webb were really moving this game along....... Webb had a no-hitter going himself until Tony Gwynn, Jr. singled up the middle with one out in the 4th inning........ Until then, not one ball hit by the Stars left the infield and he Webb went to a three-ball count only once........ Costello went to a three-ball count four times......An hour and 20 minutes after the start of the game, it was already in the top of the 7th........ In fact, this ended as the 2nd quickest game in Stars history at 1:52, losing by just one minute to a 3-1 victory over Orlando on May 1, 1986........ It was the first nine-inning game since June 25, 2000 to go under two hours. Prince Fielder followed Gwynn's 4th inning hit by unloading an 0-2 pitch over the top wall in right-center for his 15th home run of the year....... The Stars are now 11-3 in games where Prince connects........ In the 5th, Ryan Knox turned a single to right-center into a one-out double while I was coming out of the concession line. Pretty gutsy, but that's his stryle. Knox is still nursing a strained groin, but tested himself before the game and told manager Frank Kremblas he was convinced he could play...... Chavez moved Knox to third on a single over the infield that dropped into short center. His single in the 8th was nearly a carbon copy....... Kade Johnson then drove a ball to left that would have gone out, but a strong breeze was blowing in tonight and Brian Martin caught it in front of the track. It was more than enough to score Knox with the Stars' 3rd run....... The Stars singled two more times after that. Just as many attempts to move the runner on the hit-and-run, failed. Chiaron Isenia made perfect throws to Jace Brewer to throw out Chris Barnwell and Ozzie Chavez. Chiaron's first throw was so on the money that Barnwell slid into Brewer's glove. The Stars go on the road happy campers. They are alone in first place after taking their first four-game sweep since August 9-11 (double-header), 2002........ It will be 12 games against division rivals Mobile, Birmingham, and West Tennessee, returning home on the 31st for four against the Barons before going to Five County Stadium to play Carolina, one of only two Eastern Division teams they play this half......... Birmingham lost to Jacksonville, 4-2, Sunday night. Mike Jones and Chris Saenz head to Arizona after MRIs came back with some bad news....... Jones has a torn labrum and he will probably opt for surgery....... Saenz has a partial tear in his elbow, according to Robert Portnoy's broadcast report. He can go on rehab or also opt for surgery, but Saenz is going for treatment, hoping that will solve the problem. If rehab goes well, he will pitch in the fall league. If not, he will go under the knife. The weather, by the way, was beautiful tonight. Not a cloud in the sky. 81°. And that breeze blowing in may have deprived Kade of that homer in the 5th, but it was the breeze poets and songwriters write about....... Between innings, Myron Noodleman entertained the Sunday crowd, sparse as usual on church night........ Noodleman dresses like Jerry Lewis, but no one can act like the original. Still, he makes the most of his total geek act --- dark jacket, dark pants cut for the great flood revealing white socks, and painted on eyebrows like Groucho....... He made the infield sweep with the grounds crew, leading them around to the music of "Stayin' Alive", keeping the beat and interrupting the job for some John Travolta dance moves. Bucky Jacobsen hit his 2nd homer in this third major league game, Sunday --- a solo shot off Scott Elarton. Bucky also singled and walked and after three games, is carrying a .625 average (.769 OBP, 1.375 SLG, and a 2.144 OPS).

WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (NEW YORK YANKEES) 51 42 .548 TOLEDO MUD HENS (DETROIT) 52 44 .542 .5 LOUISVILLE BATS (CINCINNATI) 46 49 .484 6.0 [b]INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS (MILWAUKEE) 42 51 .452 9.0[/b] WEST DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HUNTSVILLE STARS (MILWAUKEE) 14 8 .636[/b] BIRMINGHAM BARONS (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 13 9 .591 1.0 WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (CHICAGO CUBS) 11 10 .524 2.5 *MOBILE BAY BEARS (SAN DIEGO) 8 14 .364 6.0 MONTGOMERY BISCUITS (TAMPA BAY) 7 15 .318 7.0 SOUTH DIVISION W L PCT GB *LANCASTER JETHAWKS (ARIZONA) 14 7 .667 LAKE ELSINORE STORM (SAN DIEGO) 14 9 .609 1.0 RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (ANAHEIM) 13 10 .565 2.0 INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS (SEATTLE) 10 13 .435 5.0 [b]HIGH DESERT MAVERICKS (MILWAUKEE) 8 15 .348 7.0[/b] WESTERN DIVISION W L PCT GB *KANE COUNTY COUGARS (OAKLAND) 15 8 .652 CLINTON LUMBER KINGS (TEXAS) 15 8 .652 QUAD CITY RIVER BANDITS (MINNESOTA) 13 10 .565 2.0 CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS (ANAHEIM) 12 11 .522 3.0 BURLINGTON BEES (KANSAS CITY) 11 12 .478 4.0 WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (SEATTLE) 10 13 .435 5.0 PEORIA CHIEFS (ST.LOUIS) 10 13 .435 5.0 [b]BELOIT SNAPPERS (MILWAUKEE) 10 13 .435 5.0[/b] NORTH DIVISION W L PCT GB [b]HELENA BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 16 12 .571[/b] BILLINGS MUSTANGS (CINCINNATI) 15 13 .536 1.0 GREAT FALLS WHITE SOX (CHICAGO WHITE SOX) 13 15 .464 3.0 MISSOULA OSPREY (ARIZONA) 12 16 .429 4.0 W L PCT GB RANGERS (TEXAS) 14 8 .636 GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO) 14 8 .636 MARINERS (SEATTLE) 13 9 .591 1.0 ROYALS (KANSAS CITY) 12 9 .571 1.5 [b]BREWERS (MILWAUKEE) 11 10 .524 2.5[/b] PADRES (SAN DIEGO) 10 11 .476 3.5 ATHLETICS (OAKLAND) 10 11 .476 3.5 CUBS (CHICAGO CUBS) 9 13 .409 5.0 ANGELS (ANAHEIM) 4 18 .182 10.0

Indianapolis Post-Game Notes: Pawtucket swept the Indianapolis Indians in a four-game series this weekend at Victory Field, culminating Sunday afternoon in an 11th inning, 6-5 victory over the Tribe. Tribe starter Pedro Liriano pitched 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking six and striking out seven. He teamed with reliever Dan Reichert, who threw 3.1 innings, giving up a single walk and striking out four, to keep the Tribe in the game. Indianapolis closer Ben Ford (0-2) gave up a bases clearing triple in the 11th to Henri Stanley to give Pawtucket a 6-3 lead. Indianapolis rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by Luis Figueroa?s two-run single, but the Tribe left two runners on base as Dave Krynzel bounced out to Red Sox finisher Edwin Almonte, who collected his fourth save. Matt Duff (4-3) earned the win in relief for Pawtucket, who improves to 44-51, while the Tribe (42-51) falls for the sixth time in a row. Trent Durrington and Brandon Gemoll each contributed three hits for Indianapolis. Figueroa and Alex Delgado finished with two hits. QUOTES: Cecil Cooper, Indians manager on the loss: "We didn?t quit today," said Cooper. "It?s tough when you?re losing. But, we battled back and we had some good moments today. We?ll continue to work and make things come together." NOTES: The Tribe?s six-game losing streak is the longest of the season. Brandon Gemoll has a six-game hitting streak. Dave Krynzel?s five-game hitting streak concluded with an 0-5 outing. Peter Bergeron?s four-game hitting streak ended as he went 0-5. The Tribe finished the eight-game homestand with a 2-6 record, attracting 81,012, an average crowd of 10,127.

Arizona Brewer Box Score: MARINERS 13 AT BREWERS 2 YTD YTD MARINERS AB R H BI AVG BREWERS AB R H BI AVG J.Brock CF 6 0 0 0 .292 S.Chapman CF 3 1 1 0 .233 F.Gerez 3B 5 1 1 0 .373 A.Delarosa CF 2 0 0 0 .304 M.Tuiasosopo SS 4 4 2 0 .478 H.Iribarren 2B 3 0 2 1 .471 L.Soto 1B 6 3 4 2 .389 F.Arias 2B 1 0 0 0 .176 D.Santin CAT 4 3 2 2 .380 F.De La Cruz 3B 4 0 0 0 .277 D.Hall LF 5 0 2 1 .353 C.Gallardo 1B 1 0 0 0 .343 J.Flaig DH 4 1 2 1 .231 F.Tua 1B 2 1 0 0 .000 R.Cruz RF 4 1 3 4 .353 F.Parejo LF 3 0 1 0 .286 J.Dominguez 2B 2 0 0 0 .228 J.Blanc LF 1 0 0 0 .273 R.Fagan PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Opdyke CAT 3 0 0 0 .219 T.Forbes PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 Y.Lopez DH 4 0 2 1 .400 M.Ciccotelli PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Rivera RF 3 0 0 0 .128 L.Leclercq SS 3 0 0 0 .211 O.Vicioso SS 1 0 0 0 .172 R.Lluveres PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 W.Labasta PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 T.Morrison PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 J.Needham PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 40 13 16 10 TOTALS 34 2 6 2 MARINERS 0 0 1 3 2 0 4 3 0-13 16 2 BREWERS 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0- 2 6 4 E--M.Tuiasosopo, R.Cruz, F.Arias, F.De La Cruz 2, B.Opdyke. DP-- MARINERS 1, BREWERS 1. LOB--MARINERS 9, BREWERS 8. 2B--M.Tuiasosopo 2 (2), L.Soto 2 (8), D.Hall (6), R.Cruz (3), F.Parejo (8). 3B--F.Gerez (1), R.Cruz (2), S.Chapman (4). SB--J.Flaig (3), J.Rivera (1). CS--F.De La Cruz. HBP--D.Santin, B.Opdyke. SF--R.Cruz. SH--J.Dominguez. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA MARINERS R.Fagan (W,2-1) 5.1 6 2 1 2 6 0 2.84 T.Forbes 2.2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 M.Ciccotelli 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 15.26 BREWERS R.Lluveres (L,2-1) 4.0 6 4 3 1 2 0 1.71 W.Labasta 2.0 7 5 5 2 0 0 12.00 T.Morrison 2.0 3 4 2 2 2 0 3.75 J.Needham 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1.59 HB--R.Fagan, T.Morrison. PB--D.Santin, B.Opdyke. SO--J.Brock 2, M.Tuiasosopo, L.Soto 2, J.Flaig, A.Delarosa 2, F.Parejo, B.Opdyke, Y.Lopez, J.Rivera 2, L.Leclercq 2, O.Vicioso. BB--F.Gerez, M.Tuiasosopo 2, J.Flaig, J.Dominguez 2, C.Gallardo, J.Rivera. T--2:51.

Huntsville Site Game Summary: Costello's 3-Hit Gem Toasts BiscuitsStars lefty Ryan Costello spun a three-hit, 11-strikeout masterpiece as Huntsville completed a four-game sweep of Montgomery with a 3-0 shutout on Sunday evening at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars (14-8, 46-46) moved into sole possession of first place in the Southern League West second-half standings, one game in front of Birmingham. Costello (5-3) recorded his fifth victory and Huntsville?s first complete game and shutout of 2004, throwing 100 pitches and allowing only five base runners on three hits and two walks over nine innings. The 6-foot-6 left-hander tossed four no-hit innings before Eric Reece?s leadoff single in the fifth. The only other Biscuit hits were Brian Martin?s one-out single in the eighth and Jace Brewer?s one-out double in the ninth. Brewer was the lone runner to advance past first. Costello required just four batters over the minimum to record 27 outs, and he went to a three-ball count only four times. Costello?s 11 strikeouts were the Stars? single-game high this season. Biscuits righty John Webb, making his first start of the season, was perfect until Tony Gwynn Jr.?s one-out single in the fourth. On the next pitch, Prince Fielder launched a no-doubt homer to right, his 15th of the season, for a 2-0 Stars lead. In the fifth, Ryan Knox doubled with one out and Ozzie Chavez singled him to third. Kade Johnson?s sacrifice fly plated Knox to make it 3-0, Huntsville. Webb (0-1) suffered his first loss for the Biscuits, permitting three runs on four hits and no walks with one strikeout in five frames. Biscuit reliever Carlos Hines threw two scoreless innings and Austin Coose added another. The Stars open a 12-game road trip Monday night at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile. The Bay Bears send righty Mike Thompson (5-0, 3.18) against Huntsville right-hander Dennis Sarfate (4-8, 5.11). Game time is 7:05 p.m. and the FPH Financial Services Pre-game Show starts at 6:50 p.m. Stars baseball can be heard on ESPN 1450 and at www.huntsvillestars.com.

Final: High Desert 3, Stockton (Rangers) 0 What an evening Huntsville and High Desert pitchers gave us; here, Khalid Ballouli and Nick Slack combine on a four-hitter... High Desert Box Score: GAME DATE: 7/18/04 HD at STK HIGH DESERT 3 AT STOCKTON 0 YTD YTD HIGH DESERT AB R H BI AVG STOCKTON AB R H BI AVG K.Bibbs CF 3 0 1 1 .275 J.Arias SS 4 0 0 0 .315 C.Crabbe 2B 5 0 3 0 .283 J.Senreiso CF 4 0 1 0 .282 B.Van Iderst LF 5 0 0 0 .317 J.Cleveland RF 4 0 2 0 .288 T.Hinton 1B 2 0 0 0 .313 P.Boyd DH 3 0 1 0 .216 J.Vanden ber CAT 4 0 1 0 .284 A.Fox 3B 4 0 0 0 .246 T.Farnsworth 3B 4 1 2 0 .210 N.Gold 1B 4 0 0 0 .231 M.Mendez RF 4 0 2 0 .265 D.Smith CAT 3 0 0 0 .316 P.Rasmusen DH 4 1 1 0 .200 C.Ringe 2B 1 0 0 0 .223 E.Cruz SS 4 1 3 2 .219 C.Coughlan LF 3 0 0 0 .281 K.Ballouli PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 C.Smith PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 N.Slack PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 K.Holubec PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 B.Kozlowski PIT 0 0 0 0 .000 TOTALS 35 3 13 3 TOTALS 30 0 4 0 HIGH DESERT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3- 3 13 0 STOCKTON 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0- 0 4 2 E--N.Gold 2. DP--HIGH DESERT 1, STOCKTON 2. LOB--HIGH DESERT 9, STOCKTON 6. 2B--C.Crabbe (17), E.Cruz (8), J.Senreiso (8). SB-- C.Crabbe (23). CS--K.Bibbs. HBP--T.Hinton, C.Ringe. SH--K.Bibbs. YTD IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA HIGH DESERT K.Ballouli 7.0 3 0 0 2 3 0 6.44 N.Slack (W,2-4) 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4.50 STOCKTON C.Smith 5.0 6 0 0 2 1 0 3.65 K.Holubec 1.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6.23 B.Kozlowski (L,4-2) 3.0 5 3 3 0 3 0 3.83 HB--K.Ballouli, B.Kozlowski. SO--K.Bibbs, C.Crabbe, M.Mendez, E.Cruz, J.Arias, N.Gold, D.Smith. BB--K.Bibbs, T.Hinton, P.Boyd, C.Ringe. T--2:18. A--871High Desert Game Log: www.sportsnetwork.com/mer...MEID=18839