Mack's Sonic Boom Leads to Sweep
June 20, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Bakersfield Blaze News Release
Chantz Mack won't be at the 2016 All Star Game in Lake Elsinore and that might be ok with his teammates.
Mack hit for the cycle, going 5-6 with 5 RBI as the Bakersfield Blaze (37-33) bombarded the Lancaster JetHawks (34-35) 12-2.
The win was Bakersfield's 11th consecutive road victory as the club closed out the first half of the season with a loud bang.
It was another rough outing for the JetHawks pitching staff that couldn't hold down Mack or anyone else in the Blaze lineup on Sunday afternoon.
Bakersfield scored at least one run in the final six innings of play and Mack left his mark throughout the one-sided affair.
With the Blaze up 2-0 in the 5th inning, Mack led the frame off with an opposite field triple that sailed over the head of Drew Ferguson as it bounced up against the left field wall. With the infield playing up, Kyle Petty's single escaped the shifted defense and gave the Blaze a 3-0 lead.
Lancaster trimmed the deficit down to 3-2 in the bottom half of the inning, but the game was never closer than that.
Into the sixth, Mack and the Blaze started pulling away for good.
Gareth Morgan started the frenzy off with a double; Gianfranco Wawoe executed a sacrifice bunt that was misplayed by pitcher Dean Deetz giving the road team an extra out. Deetz's bad throw to first allowed Wawoe to reach base and advance to second while Morgan came in to score. With Bakersfield up 4-2, Drew Jackson dropped another bunt down to help move Wawoe up 90 feet. Third baseman Brooks Marlow committed the second error of the inning when he didn't field Aaron Barbosa's dribbler properly setting things up yet again for Mack.
The Cal League RBI leader (57) delivered with his first of two doubles to score Wawoe and Barbosa making it 6-2.
Just a home run shy of the cycle, Mack made some history during a four-run outburst in seventh.
Justin Seager led the inning off with a single to center before Morgan was hit by a Kevin Comer fastball to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Comer was able to battle back by recording two outs as he looked to escape trouble by retiring Barbosa.
Barbosa legged out an infield single scoring Seager thus opening the door for Mack.
Mack crushed a Comer pitch over the right field wall for a three-run homer completing the cycle and ballooning the score up to 10-2.
The cycle was the first in Mack's professional career and it was the final nail in Lancaster's coffin.
Mack wasn't finished for the day as he doubled and eventually scored a run in the ninth before the game mercifully ended.
During the four-game series sweep Bakersfield outscored Lancaster 40-19 with 55 hits.
Now Mack and the majority of his teammates get the chance to rest for three days before opening up the second half of the season at home against Modesto.
Bakersfield ended the first half in impressive fashion by winning 23 of its last 32 games as they also ran their road record to 23-12.
Eddie Campbell improved his record to 7-5 with the victory while Deetz fell to 3-3.
California League Stories from June 20, 2016
- 66ers Finish First Half with Victory at Modesto - Inland Empire 66ers
- Mack's Sonic Boom Leads to Sweep - Bakersfield Blaze
- Ports Thump Mavs 10-1 to Close First Half - Stockton Ports
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