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MWL1 Burlington Bees

Bees Snap Opening Day O-fer

April 7, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Burlington Bees News Release


Burlington, IA - For the first time in at least eight seasons, the Burlington Bees are 1-0 after beating the Clinton LumberKings 6-1 at Community Field tonight. The team had lost at least its last seven openers going back to 1999 and records are incomplete for when the last Bees' Opening Day victory was. RH Matt Kniginyzky pitched a career-high six innings and matched his career high with five strikeouts for the win in his first professional start. The offense was perfect in its situational hitting on a cold and windy night with gusts up to 35 mph.

The team gave Kniginyzky some early support with two runs in the bottom of the first and second innings. Josh Johnson led off the bottom of the first with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Chris McConnell moved him to third with a groundout to the right side and Mario Lisson dropped an RBI hit in front of Joe Kemp in right that skipped past the charging outfielder for a double. Lisson then stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kiel Thibault. In the second inning, Jeff Howell led off with a single and moved to second on a second wild pitch by Clinton starter Kyle Rogers. After a walk to Carlos Arroyo, Jose Duarte moved the runners to second and third with a groundout to first. Antonio Sabatini followed with a fly ball to right and both runners tagged up and took off after the catch. Kemp made a strong throw toward third base, but Johnny Whittleman missed the ball for an error and both runners ended up scoring on the play to extend the Bees' lead to 4-0.

Arroyo was in the mix again in the fourth, lining a two-out double down the left field line. Duarte followed with a ground ball up the middle that Clinton shortstop Matt Smith made a diving stop on, but his throw to first was wide and in the dirt and skipped all the way to the fence allowing Arroyo to score. Duarte was credited with an infield single, but no RBI because of the error.

Kniginyzky (1-0) allowed just two singles and struck out five through five shutout innings before Clinton scored their only run in the sixth. Jose Vallejo, who finished 3-3 out of the ninth spot in the batting order, led off with a single. A wild pitch advanced the runner to second and he moved to third on a groundout by Truan Mehl. Smith drove in Vallejo with a sacrifice fly to center. Eliezer Garcia finished the final three innings and allowed one hit while striking out four for his first save of the season. Neither of the Bees' pitchers walked a batter.

Rogers (0-1) left after five innings and lost his first start of the year to the Bees for the second year in a row. Juan Garcia pitched the final three innings for Clinton and retired the first eight batters he faced before a two-out double by Lisson and a single by Thibault in the eighth gave the Bees their final run.

The Bees and LumberKings will play a double-header tomorrow night with the first game starting at 5:00. The gates will open at 4:00 for a Long John Silver's/A&W Family Night with a bike giveaway sponsored by JD Byrider and Louisa Communications. LH Ryan DiPietro will start game one for the Bees against LH Zach Phillips. LH Gilbert De La Vara will face RH JB Diaz in game two. The games will be broadcast on KBUR AM 1490 and KBKB AM 1360 with the pre-game show starting at 4:40. Tonight's scheduled fireworks show was postponed until tomorrow because of the high winds.

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