Chiefs Use Long Ball to Beat Beloit 6-4
June 3, 2007 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Salem, VA - Kila Kaaihue belted his team-leading seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot in the 11th, and the Wilmington Blue Rocks held on for a 5-3 win against the Salem Avalanche at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. The win snapped Wilmington's season-high road losing streak at three, and cut Salem's professional baseball-best winning streak down at 12 games. While the Blue Rocks blew a lead for the fourth straight day, they rallied for just their second win in seven extra-inning games this season. Saturday's victory brought Wilmington back to the .500 mark at 27-27.
Salem pitching had faced just one over the minimum over 6.2 innings before Mario Lisson worked a one-out, four-pitch walk against Ryan McKeller (4-2) in the 11th. Kaaihue followed by clubbing a homer over the right-field wall for a 5-3 lead. Russ Haltiwanger (3-3) worked his third scoreless inning of relief thereafter, a 1-2-3 bottom of the 11th for the 5-3 final.
The Blue Rocks took an early 3-0 lead on three separate two-out hits. In the second inning, Kiel Thibault stroked a two-out double to center field that scored Brian McFall from second base for a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Josh Johnson plated Thibault with an RBI single through the hole at shortstop for a 2-0 game.
Wilmington's lead reached 3-0 after a pair of doubles scored a run in the fourth. Wilver Perez pulled his to left with one out, and scored on a pulled RBI double to right by Brett Bigler. Wilmington's offense would wane thereafter until Kaaihue's 11th-inning heroics.
Starter Dan Cortes, still looking for his first win of the season, left in line for the victory after 6.2 scoreless innings with a man on base and two outs in the seventh. Patrick Green came out of the bullpen and allowed an RBI double to the first man he faced, Tim Torres, that scored a run against Cortes' line for a 3-1 game.
In the eighth, Green retired the first two he faced before walking Ole Sheldon and giving up a two-run homer to Mitch Einertson thereafter that tied the game, 3-3. Einertson had been hitless on the night before his big fly to left, but the homer extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
Wilmington will look for a series split with afternoon baseball scheduled for Sunday. Tropical Depression Barry threatens to interfere with a sensational pitching matchup. Wilmington's Rowdy Hardy (6-0, 1.21), the league leader in ERA, is slated to rematch with Salem's Brad James (7-1, 1.56), second in the league in wins and ERA. These two collided on May 13 at Salem, with Hardy going eight one-run innings to hand James his lone loss of the season.
GAME NOTES: Jose Duarte reached on single to start the game and stretch his hitting streak to six games. He stole a base, his team-leading 12th on the season, and was caught on a swipe attempt for the fifth time.
The bottom third of Wilmington's order, Kiel Thibault, Brett Bigler and Josh Johnson, each drove in a run.
Batters two through four in the Wilmington order, Marc Maddox, Mario Lisson and Kila Kaaihue, had been a combined 0-for-13 until Lisson's walk and Kaaihue's homer in the 11th.
Despite allowed the game to be tied in the eighth, the Blue Rocks improved to 23-0 when leading after seven innings this season.
Lynchburg lost at Winston-Salem in 12 innings, 9-8, bringing Wilmington within a half-game of the Hillcats for first place in the Carolina League's Northern Division.
Earlier in the day, the Royals made a series of roster moves with the Blue Rocks, including the return of catcher Cody Clark after spending three weeks with Triple-A Omaha. Clark appeared in three games for the O-Royals, hitting .286 (2-for-7) with a double, a home run and two RBIs. In 14 games with the Blue Crew before his promotion, Clark hit .271 (13-for-48) with three doubles and five RBIs over 14 games. The former Wichita State star carries a four-game hitting streak as a Blue Rock into his next Wilmington action.
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