Bees Snap Losing Skid

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Bees Snap Losing Skid
07/30/2007 11:33 PM ET
By Randy Wehofer / Burlington Bees

Burlington, IA (July 30, 2007) - The Burlington Bees (18-18, 48-57) ended a four-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Kane County Cougars (15-20, 39-65) at Community Field tonight. Mario Santiago allowed just a run on two hits over seven innings and Joe Dickerson had two hits and two RBI to lead the Bees. The Bees are now 6-0 at home against the Cougars this season and 10-3 overall in the season series.
Santiago (3-7) matched a season-high with seven innings pitched and has now won back-to-back starts for the first time this year. The Cougars only run came in the top of the first inning. With one out, Larry Cobb walked and went all the way to third on a base hit by Jermaine Mitchell. Sean Doolittle followed with a slow chopper to shortstop and the Bees could only get a force out at second base. Cobb scored as Doolittle reached on a fielder's choice and picked up an RBI. Santiago allowed one more single to Mitchell in the fourth and brushed Matt Smith's jersey with a pitch in the fifth and those were the only other baserunners against him in the game. In three starts against the Cougars, he has allowed one run in 20 innings. Josh Cribb finished the final two innings and allowed one hits to earn his third save of the season.
The Bees responded quickly to the Cougars run in the top of the first with a run of their own in the bottom of the first inning against Scott Deal (5-9). With one out, Jeff Bianchi and Dickerson lined back-to-back doubles to tie the score. The Bees took the lead in the third inning. Derrick Robinson led off with a single and went to second on a wild pick-off attempt scored as an error on Deal on the mound. Bianchi followed with a bouncing ball to second that took a home field bounce off the lip of the grass and jumped out into center field for an RBI single as Robinson scored. The Bees added their final two runs in the seventh inning. Jase Turner led off with a home run to right. It was his eighth home run of the season. With one out, Robinson walked and stole second. The Cougars brought on Travis Banwart in relief and he gave up back-to-back singles to Bianchi and Dickerson to bring in Robinson. Bianchi's three hits tie his season-high and match the total he had all season against the Cougars coming into tonight's game over 25 at-bats. Banwart got out of the inning and worked a scoreless eighth to finish the game.
RF Jamar Walton was 1-2 with a double and walked twice tonight to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. He now owns the longest hitting streak in the Midwest League this season and has the second-longest hitting streak in franchise history behind Irving Falu's 24-game streak in 2005. Dickerson has now reached base safely in 33 straight games, one shy of Falu's franchise mark.
The Bees and Cougars complete the Community Field portion of this series tomorrow night at 7:00. RH Daniel Gutierrez will make his Bees' debut on the mound against LH James Heuser (7-6, 4.32) for the Cougars. The gates will open at 6:00 for a Hawk Eye 2-for-Tuesday. Fans can bring the coupon from tomorrow's newspaper and get 2 GA tickets for the price of one. There will also be a 2-for-1 sandwich special in the concession stand during the game. 2-for-Tuesday is also sponsored by 101.7 The Bull. The game will be broadcast live on KBUR AM 1490 and KBKB AM 1360 with the pre-game show starting at 6:40.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.