Chukars' Dungan posts six-hit performance
Clay Dungan entered Sunday with six hits in his brief Minor League career. He'll go to sleep with a dozen.The Royals' ninth-round pick in this month's Draft went 6-for-6 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs as Rookie Advanced Idaho Falls ran roughshod over Billings, 18-6, at Melaleuca Field.
Clay Dungan entered Sunday with six hits in his brief Minor League career. He'll go to sleep with a dozen.
The Royals' ninth-round pick in this month's Draft went 6-for-6 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs as Rookie Advanced Idaho Falls ran roughshod over Billings, 18-6, at Melaleuca Field.
Gameday box score
Through five games, the Indiana State product has gone 12-for-22 (.545) with at least one hit in each game, including three multi-hit efforts.
In the first inning, he doubled to right field off right-hander
"I was looking middle-in," he said of the first-inning double. "I'm more of an up-and-down hitter; in and out doesn't matter. He got the ball up and I was able to get the barrel to it."
The 23-year-old shortstop added an RBI single to right in the fourth, plating
After getting three hits off McGregor, Dungan knew there was a lot of baseball left to play -- and more arms to come.
"It's always a long game," he said. "They can bring in a pitcher, one you're not seeing ball very well against, but you just have to have the same approach.
"It's always fun to play these type games. You just want to get back from playing defense and swing the bat. I'm seeing the ball well and my timing was good. It was a lot of fun today."
Facing right-handed reliever
He had faced Nino on Friday, reaching on a fielder's choice in the 10th inning of the Chukars' 4-3 win. On Sunday, he knew what to expect.
"He throws with a little bit of a sidearm," Dungan said. "I just scooted off the plate a little bit and got something up in the zone and was able to drive the ball."
With a 14-5 lead, Idaho Falls sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the eighth and scored four times off
"You have to adjust to the speed," he said of facing a position player. "They're not going to be throwing 90-plus, so you have to tell yourself to stay back."
Dungan said he received a couple of texts after the game and admitted, "I can't remember another six-hit game. I may have been 5-for-5 in high school or something, but never six hits."
James delivered four hits, four runs and two RBIs while
Quin Cotton had three hits for Billings, while
McGregor (0-1) allowed 10 runs -- eight earned -- on 10 hits and a walk in three innings. He struck out two.
It marked the second year in a row a Chukars player posted a 6-for-6 game.
Duane Cross is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @DuaneCrossMiLB.