Farm leaguers in unlikely no-hitter

No-hitters never happen at Heritage Park in Adelanto, Calif.

Heck, shutouts rarely happen in the home of the Class A High Desert Mavericks.

It’s a wind-swept hitter’s dream at 2,700 feet, where routine fly balls can turn into homers if elevated into the jet stream shooting out from behind home plate.

But Wednesday night in that purgatory for pitching, three High Desert pitchers – starter Tyler Pike and relievers Mark Bordonaro and Blake Hauser – combined to throw a no-hitter against Rancho Cucamonga.

It was the first no-hitter thrown at the park and just the second in franchise history.

“It feels good, especially doing it there,” Pike said Thursday morning. “That’s a place where you would never think it would happen. But I think we only had one ball go to the outfield the whole game. It’s crazy how things work out. But it was a blast.”

Pike tossed six hitless innings, walking two batters and striking out eight. But he didn’t get the win. He left with the game scoreless. Bordonaro came on and pitched the seventh – striking out the side. He walked two in the eighth inning, but got a big double play to end the inning. The Mavericks took the lead in bottom of the eighth when Jordy Lara and DJ Peterson each hit two-run homers.

Manager Eddie Menchaca turned to closer Blake Hauser, who walked the leadoff hitter, then got a double play. He hit a batter and then struck out Chris Jacobs to end the game.

Coming into Wednesday’s start, Pike was 2-2 with a 5.57 ERA.

“It’s been a little rough,” he said. “I’m just trying to get used to everything. I knew coming in that this is not a fun place for pitchers to be. And I think I was just trying a little bit too hard to do everything.”