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Five JetHawks combine on no-hitter

Donovan goes 5 2/3 frames in 10-inning win over Lake Elsinore
August 26, 2010
The first California League no-hitter of the season and the league's fifth extra-inning no-no wasn't exactly a textbook event.

Astros right-handed prospect Robert Donovan struck out four over 5 2/3 innings and four relievers wrapped up the feat as Class A Advanced Lancaster outlasted Lake Elsinore, 3-1, in 10 frames.

"My fastball was working real well," Donovan said. "I was locating it really well. I had a few good changeups."

The Stetson product induced eight groundouts, including five straight between the second and third innings.

"We were looking up at the scoreboard and saw that big fat zero up on the board," JetHawks reliever David Carpenter said. "He threw really, really well and set the tone for the entire game. He came out there and did his job."

Donovan retired the first 17 batters he faced before walking the Storm's Brad Chalk in the sixth. After Daniel Robertson followed with a two-out walk, Donovan was pulled in favor of Edwin Walker.

"Actually, I was tired as hell at the end," said Donovan. "I was just dead. I walked those two guys at the end, but I felt good the whole time before that."

Walker preserved Lancaster's 1-0 lead by striking out Cole Figueroa to end the frame. After he followed with a scoreless seventh, David Berner entered the game in the eighth and walked Jesus Lopez.

Robert Lara followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt, reaching first on Berner's throwing error. Chalk dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Berner committed another throwing error, which allowed Lopez to cross the plate to tie the game.

Carpenter then entered the game, striking out Cole Figueroa and getting Oscar Salazar to ground into a double play to end the threat.

"It wasn't really the pressure of keeping a no-hitter alive as much as keeping runs off the board," said Carpenter. "It was a tie game when I came in with runners on second and third."

Carpenter, who once caught a no-hitter while attending West Virginia University, pitched a perfect ninth to send the game into extras.

After David Flores and Bryce Lane delivered RBI doubles for Lancaster in the top of the 10th, Jose Trinidad shut the door by fanning one and walking one.

"They threw pretty well for the most part," Donovan said of the bullpen. "They had a couple of errors, but they got ground balls when they needed to.

"I was hoping that we could pull through and get a win out of it," he added.

Carpenter earned the win in relief, and Walker picked up his second hold of the year. Trinidad got his first save for Lancaster (51-77).

Alex Raskin is a contributor to MLB.com.