SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Malec Homers Twice as RiverDogs Extinguish Sand Gnats, 6-1, for Sixth Straight Win

Published on April 23, 2007 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


First baseman Chris Malec blasted two home runs - one from each side of the plate - and pitcher Mike Dunn scattered four hits over 7.2 innings to lead the Charleston RiverDogs to a 6-1 victory over the Savannah Sand Gnats in South Atlantic League action Monday night in front of 5,618 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

With the victory, Charleston wins its season-high sixth consecutive game and improves to 12-7 while Savannah lost for the fifth straight time and falls to 4-14.

Malec drilled his first home run of the season from the left side of the plate, a two-run shot over the right field fence on a 2-0 offering from Savannah starter Tim Stronach (1- 3) in the third inning that helped the hosts to a quick 5-0 lead after three innings. It marked Malec's first home run in more than a year, dating back to the third game of the 2006 season.

Then in his next at-bat in the sixth, Malec - this time batting right-handed - slammed a 1-1 pitch off of Savannah reliever Todd Privett over the left field fence to give Charleston its sixth run of the game. Malec recorded three RBI on the night.

Dunn (3-0), who lowers his earned run average to an impressive 1.59, went 7.2 frames - the longest outing of a RiverDog starter this season - and struck out six while walking two. The lone run scored by Savannah, a fourth inning tally coming on a wild pitch, was only the RiverDogs' pitching staff's third earned run allowed in the past 50 innings.

Charleston reliever Gabe Medina pitched the final 1.1 innings and permitted one hit while striking out a pair.

The RiverDogs lit the scoreboard for three runs in the first two innings as Seth Fortenberry collected a first-frame RBI on a groundout. Charleston then pushed two tallies across in the second on an Andres Perez RBI single up the middle and a Mitch Hilligoss RBI fielder's choice.

Down 5-0, the Sand Gnats scored a run in their half of the fourth inning by loading the bases on two singles and a walk. Dan Stegall, who led off with a single, scored on a wild pitch from Dunn for the visitors' lone run and third of the series.

Malec paced the RiverDogs with three of the team's 11 hits while Josue Calzado added a pair of knocks. Savannah was limited to five hits on the night with no individual collecting more than one.

The finale of this four-game series is set for a rare 10:35 a.m. start Wednesday, as Charleston hosts its annual School Day game. RiverDogs manager Torre Tyson will send lefty Garrett Patterson (1-0, 2.08 ERA) to the hill for his first start of the season while Sand Gnats skipper Tim Teufel will go with righty Matt Durkin (0-0, 4.76).

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 23, 2007


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