BATISTA HITS FOR CYCLE PASADENA TAKES OUT CLOVIS

For Immediate Release
September 18, 2000

PASADENA (AP) – Slow-footed Jose Batista doesn’t hit many triples, but he got a timely one in his last at-bat against the Clovis Wheat Kings.   Batista hit for the cycle and drove in four runs as the Pasadena Quest beat the Wheat Kings 7-5 Monday night.  Batista hit an RBI double in the third, a single in the first, a solo homer in the seventh and a bases-loaded triple in the eighth. It was his “It’s only my second triple of the year, I’m not the fastest guy,” Batista said. “It’s got to be a sure thing for me to go for a triple. I don’t push it.”   Batista’s towering drive to right center almost was an out. Center fielder Marvin Bernard got his glove on the ball, but it popped out as he ran into the wall. “When I hit the ball, I knew I got a good part of it and I thought it might go out,” Batista said. “But I wasn’t sure, so I ran hard just in case something happened.”  Clovis manager Rick “Coop” Cooper said Bernard might have gotten to the ball faster and made the catch if not for a left quadricep strain that forced him to get a bad jump on the ball.  “I put in Bernard and it turned out he was not ready to play,” Cooper said.  Lee Stevens had two hits and two RBIs for Pasadena, which moved to four games over the .500 mark.  Dustin Hermanson started for Pasadena, walked two and had two strikeouts, before leaving with in the sixth inning and down by two runs. Four relievers combined to only give up one run over the next seven innings Mike Duvall (2-1) was the last pitcher on the hill for Pasadena and got the last three outs for his second win.  Clovis starter Brian Meadows lasted six innings as well, allowing three runs on nine hits, but it was the bullpen which faltered for Clovis.  Trever Miller (1-1) allowed three runs over four and a third innings, but took the loss.   Damion Easley led off the third inning with a single, and raced home on Batista’s double to give Pasadena a 1-0 lead.  Lee Stevens RBI double in the fifth put the Quest down just one. Batista followed with his 19th homer of the season in the seventh.  Pasadena manager Jason Kerns said “This was a great come back for us, and Batista should get even better in the years to come.