MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Burlington Ends Seven Game Skid with 9-6 Win Over Dayton

Published on May 22, 2004 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Burlington, IA – The Burlington Bees (14-27) used a Mississippi born pitcher and a Hawaiian born first baseman to put and end to a season high seven game losing streak as the Bees easily handled the Dayton Dragons (16-25), rolling to a 9-6 win. Pitcher Dusty Hughes from, Horn Lake, Mississippi tossed seven innings of one run baseball and first baseman Kila Kaaihue, from Kailua, Hawaii picked up a career high six RBI in the Bees win.

In the first game of the series on Thursday night, Kaaihue, just cleared the top of the 16 foot high wall down the line in right field for a solo home run off the Dragons Calvin Medlock. In a scoreless game in the home half of the third on Friday night, Kaaihue again barely cleared the same wall in right off Dragons starter Brock Till (L, 2-3). Friday's shot by Kaaihue was good for a two run homer to the give the Bees a 2-0 lead and was just getting the big first baseman warmed up.

Burlington chased Till before the close of the fourth inning scoring three more times off the Dragons starter. Till lasted 3.2 innings allowing five earned runs on five hits. He struck out two and walk three with one wild pitch. Adam Donachie picked up a RBI on a single that scored Mitch Maier for a 3-0 lead. Bryan Graham knocked the fourth run home on a slow rolling groundball up the first baseline. Kaaihue picked up his third run batted in on a fielder's choice that put the Bees up 5-0.

Kaaihue continued the hitting show in the sixth inning, picking up three more runs batted in. Dragons reliever Derek Hawk (ND) who got the final out of the fourth, came back out for the fifth and got the first two outs of the inning with little trouble. A swinging bunt with two down by Brandon Powell, a walk to Donachie and a Dragons error allowing Graham to reach, loaded the bases for Kaaihue. Kaaihue came through yet again, ripping a Hawk pitch inside the bag at first and down into the right field corner for a bases clearing triple and his fourth, fifth and sixth RBI of the night.

The Bees took an 8-0 lead to the bottom of the sixth inning and added a run off of Dayton reliever David Shafer (ND). Angel Sanchez hit his first HR of the season, a solo shot over the wall in left to put the home team up 9-0. It would be the only run Shafer would allow in the 3.0 innings he worked on the night.

Dayton had no answer for Burlington starter Dusty Hughes (W, 4-2) who kept the team off the scoreboard until the top of the seventh inning. Walter Olmstead broke up the shutout with a towering homer to left center field. After the seventh inning, Hughes left with a 9-1 lead. The southpaw struck out eight on the night with two walks in picking up the win.

The Dragons added late runs in the eighth and ninth innings to make the score respectable. Ryan Fry launched a three run HR off reliever Jake Mullis (ND) for his ninth of the season in the eighth inning. In the ninth, Elvin Beltre and Luis Bolivar picked up RBI on a SAC fly and a ground out respectively, but Dayton could get no closer than three.

The Dragons continue the four game series with the Burlington Bees at 7:00 PM on Saturday night from Community Field in Burlington, Iowa. 1410 ESPN Radio WING AM will carry the game live with the pre game show beginning at 6:30 PM. RHP Josh Thigpen is the scheduled starter for the Dragons, while Burlington will counter with RHP Ambiorix Burgos.

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Midwest League Stories from May 22, 2004


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