Kip Bouknight spun his first career no-hitter to lead the Salem Avalanche past the Frederick Keys, 5-0, on August 7.

The 23-year-old threw 106 pitches, hit a pair of batters, issued three walks and struck out eight, raising his record to 12-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 23 starts.

A University of South Carolina product, who was presented with the Smith Award as the nation's top collegiate baseball player in 2000, Bouknight retired eight straight batters between the third and sixth frames and induced 12 groundball outs among the 31 total batters he faced.

"It was nice to pitch with a lead," Bouknight said after Brad Hawpe hit a two-run homer in the first inning. "I used both sides of the plate, threw strikes and relied on my catcher, Jeff Winchester -- who called a great game -- and the defense for support."

The 6-0, 190-pound right-hander, whose first career Class A victory came against the Keys on April 15, incorporated the use of both his slider and fast ball to strike out one batter in every frame except the third.

"All I want to do when I go out there is give my team a chance to win," Bouknight said.

On Aug. 8, 2001, Bouknight tossed six innings of a combined perfect game with Pat Lynch for Tri-City, defeating Boise of the Short-Season Northwest League. A 13th-round selection of the Rockies in 2001, Bouknight became the first pitcher since 1996 to register a nine-inning no-hitter for Salem.

The game marked the fifth time that the Keys have been no-hit in their 14-year existence, the first time in a nine-inning game and the first time Frederick has been no-hit at home.

Shining in extra time
The Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League established a minor league season-high for runs in an extra inning as the they scored nine times in the top of the 11th en route to a 17-8 win over the Dayton Dragons on August 4.

Peoria opened up an 8-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning but watched the lead slip away as Dayton scored five in the bottom of the inning and tied the game with a run in the seventh. The Chiefs collected just three hits through the previous six innings before the explosion in the 11th.

"I've seen nine runs in an inning before," said Peoria manager Danny Sheaffer. "But I've never seen nine runs in an extra inning."

Shaun Boyd and Chase Voshell drew back-to-back walks to leadoff the inning, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position with no outs.

"We were in a bunt situation and we didn't get the bunt down," Sheaffer said recalling the inning. "All of a sudden, it just exploded after that."

Tim Lemon and Gabe Johnson delivered consecutive singles, Ricardo Cordova reached on a fielder's choice, John Nelson had a two-run double, Jordan Robinson added an RBI single, Yadier Molina belted a three-run homer and the rout was on.

"We had a couple of seeing eye singles and then the outfield wall started getting peppered and Molina capped it off with a three-run homer," Sheaffer said. "It was good."

Lemon added a two-run single during his second plate appearance in the inning for Peoria, which improved to 8-5 in extra-inning games this season.

Ironically, that same day, the Stockton Ports in the high-Class A California League used an eight-run top of the 10th inning to post a 16-8 victory over the San Jose Giants.

After rallying for seven runs over the final two innings to tie the game at 8-8 and force extra innings, Steve Smitherman snapped a deadlock with an infield RBI single.

Jeff Bannon stroked a two-out, two-run single three batters later and Mike Calitri followed with a two-run double, giving Stockton a five-run cushion. Brian Peterson added an RBI single and Bryan Anderson capped the explosion with a two-run triple for the Ports, who won for the fourth time in 35 games when trailing entering the ninth inning.

Going to the extreme
Rochester Red Wings general manager Dan Mason was so intent on stopping his team's losing streak that he vowed to sleep in the bullpen, beginning on July 31, until the streak was snapped.

Mason made good on his promise, albeit for a longer period than he would have liked to.

On Aug. 6, Mason returned home to his family after Rochester posted a 12-3 win over the Syracuse SkyChiefs, snapping its franchise-high 12-game losing streak from July 24-Aug. 4.

Franky Figueroa helped send his boss home by belting his third home run and collecting four RBI in the win for Rochester. Figueroa drove in a pair of runs during a seven-run second inning.

The losing streak was the longest of its kind in the International League since Pawtucket dropped 13 in a row during the 1985 season. Prior to this winless spell, the longest losing streak in franchise history was when the 1920 Rochester Hustlers dropped 12 in a row.

No slowing down
Edmonton Trappers right-hander Scott Randall is on a roll. There is just no other way to describe it.

The 26-year-old Randall recorded his 13th consecutive victory in the Trappers' 7-4 triumph over Sacramento in the first game of a doubleheader on Aug. 3.

Randall, who went 2-0 in five starts with New Britain of the Double-A Eastern League to open the season, allowed three earned runs and nine hits with four walks and five strikeouts over five innings to improve to 11-0 with a 3.38 ERA for Edmonton.

The 6-3, 200-pound pitcher now holds the second longest winning streak in the National Association this season, just one win behind Joe Roa, who won 14 straight decisions for Scranton-WB of the International League earlier this season.

The only other pitcher this season to win as many games at one level is John Koronka, who went 11-0 with Stockton of the Class A California League. The all-time record for consecutive wins in a single season in the Pacific Coast League is held by Frank Browning, who recorded 16 straight wins for the 1909 Champion San Francisco Seals.

Minor-league highlights
Boise (Class A Northwest League) third baseman Matt Craig recorded three RBI in a 12-run fourth inning to rout Yakima, 13-6, on Aug. 5. Craig, a third-round selection by the Cubs in June, launched a three-run homer to give his team an 8-2 cushion. The 21-year-old finished with a season-high four RBI. Boise became the fifth team in the minors to record 12 or more runs in one inning this year. The last Northwest League team to post a 12-run inning was Spokane during the 1996 season.

Cedar Rapids (Class A Midwest League) second baseman Justin Turner snapped a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-run homer, leading the Kernels to a 7-6 victory over West Michigan on August 6. The win was the 6,000th by a Cedar Rapids professional baseball team dating back to May 2, 1890 when the Canaries beat Aurora, Ill.

Chattanooga (Double-A Southern League) outfielder Mike Edwards homered in the top of the 18th inning to lift the Lookouts over Huntsville, 8-7, in the longest game played in the Southern League this season. Following eight scoreless extra innings, the 25-year-old crushed a three-run blast with one out in the top of the 18th frame to give Chattanooga an 8-5 lead. This game is one of only two in the National Association to reach 18 innings this season and is the longest in the league since West Tenn beat Mobile 3-0 in 18 frames on July 8, 2000.

Edmonton (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) catcher Matt LeCroy hit a game-winning grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs to help the Trappers outlast Sacramento, 15-11, on Aug. 3. LeCroy, playing in his first game since being optioned from Minnesota on Friday, snapped an 11-11 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning with his third grand slam since 1999.

Kane County (Class A Midwest League) right-hander Jon Asahina, first baseman Jason Stokes and second baseman Kris Clute combined to turn the second triple play in the minors this season as the Cougars triumphed over South Bend, 5-3, August 5. With runners on first and second in the bottom of the second inning, Mike Dirosa lined out to Asahina, who threw to Stokes to double-up the runner at first. Stokes then went over to second where Clute forced the fifth triple play in the club's 12-year existence. Kane County, owner's of the second-best fielding percentage in the circuit (.970) this year, became the 106th team in the league-history to record the feat. Fresno of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League last turned a triple play on July 6.

Modesto (Class A California League) second baseman Caonado Cosme recorded three RBI in a 12-run seventh inning to lead the A's past High Desert, 15-12, on August 4. After going hitless in his first three at-bats, the 23-year-old laced a run-scoring triple and then capped the big rally with a two-run double that gave Modesto a 13-11 lead. The A's scored the most runs in an inning of a California League game since June 12, 2000 when they scored 12 in the seventh against Bakersfield. Modesto is the league's only team to amass 12 runs in an inning since 1998, accomplishing the feat three times. The 11-run deficit marked the largest comeback victory by a team in the minor leagues this season.

Ottawa (Triple-A International League) right-hander Todd Williams pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the win over the Red Sox on August 6, earning his 17th save of the season and the 200th of his minor league career.

Portland (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) outfielder Kory DeHaan belted a game-winning, two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Beavers over Tucson, 6-5 on August 4. The next night, Dehaan collected a career-high five hits, which included four singles and a double, as the Beavers defeated New Orleans, 8-7. The Iowa native singled twice during a six-run first inning.

Reading (Double-A Eastern League) first baseman Nate Espy snapped a scoreless tie with a solo homer in the top of the 14th-inning as the Phillies beat Akron, 2-0, on August 5.

Richmond (Triple-A International League) outfielder Travis Wilson homered and collected a career-high six RBI to propel the Braves to a 13-1 rout of Norfolk on August 5. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Wilson, who finished 4-for-5 with three doubles and two runs, had a pair of doubles during an eight-run sixth. The game ignited a stretch where Wilson went 9-for-14 with three homers and nine RBI in three games.

Minor-league leaders
(Through Aug. 8)
AVERAGE (Minimum 270 TPA): Jeff Duncan, St. Lucie .362; ON BASE PERCENTAGE: Jeff Duncan, St. Lucie, .469; SLUGGING PERCENTAGE: Brandon Larsen, Louisville, .667; HITS: Joe Thurston, Las Vegas, 161; HOME RUNS: Ivan Cruz, Memphis, 28; RBI: Brad Nelson, High Desert, 102; STOLEN BASES: Wayne Lydon, Columbus (SAL), 72; DOUBLES: Brad Nelson, High Desert, 41; TRIPLES: Jose Reyes, Binghamton, 17; RUNS: Lew Ford, Edmonton, 102; WALKS: Graham Koonce, Midland, 114; STRIKEOUTS: Jorge Soto, Visalia, 155; ERRORS: Galindo Gomez, Burlington, 40.

BEST ERA (90 IP): Kirk Saarloos, New Orleans, 1.54; WORST ERA (90 IP): George Perez, High Desert, 8.67; WINS: Ian Ferguson, Wichita, 16; LOSSES: Yoel Hernandez, Clearwater, 15; SAVES: Juan Padilla, New Britain, 29; COMPLETE GAMES: Several players tied with 5; GAMES: Ray Beasley, Richmond, 55; INNINGS PITCHED: Rich Fischer, Arkansas, 164.2; STRIKEOUTS: Clint Nageotte, San Bernardino, 168.

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Full Season): Akron (Indians), .655 (78-41); Stockton (Reds), .655 (76-40); Wilmington (Royals), 641 (75-42).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Short Season): Gulf Coast League Pirates (Pirates), .727 (32-12); Oneonta (Tigers), .660 (33-17); Arizona League Cubs (Cubs), .658 (25-13).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/ORGANIZATION: Cleveland Indians (.573); Pittsburgh Pirates (.573); Los Angeles Dodgers (.562).

Top pitching performances
Calgary (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) right-hander Mike Judd carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning in the Cannons' 6-1 victory at Edmonton on Aug. 6. The no-hit bid was snapped on a single by Lew Ford. Overall, the 27-year-old yielded a run and one hit with three walks and a season-high nine strikeouts over 7 1/3 frames, improving to 7-5 with a 5.24 ERA in 19 starts.

Clearwater (Class A Florida State League) right-hander Keith Bucktrot tossed his fourth career complete game in a 6-1 triumph over Sarasota on August 3. Bucktrot, selected by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2000 draft, yielded one run, allowed four hits and struck out a batter to capture his first win in his last eight appearances. The 21-year-old from Oklahoma set down 16 consecutive batters between the second and seventh frames.

El Paso (Double-A Texas League) left-hander Mike Gosling recorded the second shutout of his first professional season and picked up his league-leading 12th win in the Diablos' 6-0 victory over Midland in the first game of a doubleheader on Aug. 2. Gosling scattered three hits, issued a pair of walks and struck out five. The 6-2, 210-pound southpaw has won his last three starts and is 6-0 over his last eight. On Aug. 7, Gosling allowed four runs, six hits and walked six batters in 4 2/3 innings to suffer his first loss since June 19th in a 6-3 defeat to Round Rock.

Lakewood (Class A South Atlantic League) right-hander Gavin Floyd had a bid to record a second no-hitter within the past 12 days broken up in the eighth inning of the BlueClaws' 5-2 victory at Charleston-WV on Aug. 4. Floyd, who suffered the loss in a nine-inning no-hitter versus Lexington on July 24, yielded just a walk and a hit batter over the first seven frames. He started off the eighth with a groundout, but catcher Jose Yepez laced a single past the shortstop to snap the bid. Floyd allowed two runs and two hits, striking out six and walking three, in eight frames for the win, improving to 10-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 22 starts.

Macon (Class A South Atlantic League) left-hander Macay McBride threw a five-hit, 4-0 shutout against Charleston-SC on Aug. 2 to win his sixth straight start. McBride yielded just one walk, and he struck out six to raise his record to 9-7 with a 2.00 ERA in 20 outings. A first-round pick in 2001, McBride has not allowed a run in 22 1/3 innings over his last three starts and has allowed only four earned runs over 51 innings in his last eight starts.

Nashville (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) right-hander Salomon Torres threw his first complete game since 1996 to help Nashville pound Oklahoma, 11-2, on August 4. Torres, who began his career in 1990 with San Francisco and played in the Korean Baseball Organization last season after a three-year layoff, yielded two runs -- one earned -- and eight hits, striking out five and walking one, to capture his 27th complete game as a pro.

New Haven (Double-A Eastern League) right-hander Rhett Parrott recorded his second complete game in his last three starts in the Ravens' 9-2 victory at Portland on Aug. 3 to earn league Pitcher-of-the Week honors. Parrott, who pitched a three-hit shutout on July 24, allowed two runs and six hits with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks over nine innings to win his third straight start. He retired 11 in a row between the first and fifth innings, including the side in order by strikeout in the third.

Orlando (Douible-A Southern League) right-hander Dewan Brazelton pitched seven shutout innings to snap a personal seven-game losing streak and record his first win since May 4 in a 5-1 victory against Tennessee on Aug. 3.

Toledo (Triple-A International League) right-hander Shane Loux pitched his league-leading fifth complete game of the season in the Mud Hens' 5-1 victory over Charlotte on Aug. 1. Loux yielded an unearned run and scattered four hits with a walk and three strikeouts, improving to 5-0 with a 0.39 ERA in complete games this season.

West Tenn (Double-A Southern League) right-hander John Webb, who struck out the side in the first and retired 17 of the 18 batters he faced between the first and seventh frames, yielded one run and two hits over seven innings with six strikeouts to earn his first-ever Double-A victory in a 5-1 victory over Carolina on Aug. 3.

Winston-Salem (Class A Carolina League) right-hander Wyatt Allen spun a two-hit complete game for the Warthogs in a 5-0 victory at Potomac on Aug. 2. Allen, selected in the first round by the White Sox last year, issued a pair of walks, threw one wild pitch and struck out three batters to earn the win and even his record at 7-7. The University of Tennessee product retired 14 of the first 16 batters he faced and had a no-hit bid broken up by a leadoff single in the sixth inning. He retired the next nine batters in order en route to his first professional shutout. Wyatt was then promoted to Charlotte and was charged with five runs and six hits with six walks in five frames in a 9-1 loss to Richmond.

Streaking
Bristol (rookie level Appalachian League) outfielder Darren Ciraco extended his hitting streak to 24 games through August 6 (40-101, 32 RBI), raising his average from .294 to .362. The 6-2, 200-pounder owned the longest hit streak in the Appalachian League since Kerry Robinson hit safely in 23 straight for the Cardinals in 1995. Ciraco needed a 13th-inning double on Aug. 5 against Elizabethton to extend the streak.

Buffalo (Triple-A International League) outfielder Karim Garcia hit safely in 19 straight games (32-74, 5 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI) July 16-Aug. 4, raising his average from .235 to .396. He was promoted to the Indians on Aug. 6.

Calgary (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) shortstop Kevin Hooper hit safely in 21 straight games (34-93, 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 5 SB) July 3-Aug. 7, tying Salt Lake's Robb Quinlan for the longest hitting streak in the league this season.

Chattanooga (Double-A-Southern League) left-hander Lance Davis ended a personal six-game losing streak with a complete game, 2-1, victory at Huntsville on Aug. 7. Davis yielded an unearned run in the ninth inning and scattered seven hits with 10 strikeouts.

Fort Myers (Class A Florida State League) right-hander Beau Kemp allowed no earned runs in 23 consecutive games June 8-Aug. 5 (29 1/3 IP, 16 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 19 SO), going 1-0 with 14 saves. Kemp was second in the league with 23 saves through Aug. 7.

Hickory (Class A South Atlantic League) right-hander Ian Oquendo tossed seven scoreless innings (6 H, 1 BB, 9 SO) in a 8-0 win against Delmarva August 4. He pitched six scoreless innings in a 10-0 win against Greensboro in his last start. The next night, right-hander John Van Benschoten tossed five scoreless frames with seven strikeouts to beat Asheville, 9-1. Van Benschoten, a 2001 first-rounder, has not allowed an earned run in his last four starts covering 24 innings.

Ottawa (Triple-A International League) right-hander Sun-Woo Kim won his fifth consecutive start, throwing eight scoreless innings of a combined three-hit shutout in the Lynx's 2-0 triumph at Rochester on Aug. 1, his first outing since being traded by the Red Sox to Montreal for Cliff Floyd. Kim scattered three hits, issued three walks and fanned a pair, improving to 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA in nine starts this season. Five nights later, Kim lasted just 1 2/3 innings against his former Pawtucket club, allowing four unearned runs in Ottawa's 9-8 victory.

Pirates (rookie level Gulf Coast League) recorded their 15th straight win on Aug. 7, the longest streak of its kind in the National Association this season, with a 3-1 victory at the Rangers. The Pirates lead the league with a .286 batting average and average 5.37 runs/game. During their winning streak, the Pirates have outscored their opponents, 73-26, and have a team ERA of 2.91 with a league-leading record of 32-11 (.744).

Rancho Cucamonga (Class A California League) right-hander Pedro Liriano won his fifth straight start with six-plus strong innings in the Quakes' 12-4 victory over Lake Elsinore on August 4. Liriano, who struck out 10 in a one-hit shutout on July 30, yielded a run and five hits over 6 1/3 innings to improve to 9-10 with a 3.89 ERA in 23 outings. He also fanned five and walked four in the contest. Over the win streak, the 21-year-old posted a 1.70 ERA, allowing 20 hits and striking out 39 over 37 frames.

San Bernardino (Class A California League) right-hander Clint Nageotte fanned 10 or more batters for a 2002 minor league season-high fourth straight game to help the Stampede down Visalia, 6-4, on August 3. The 1999 draftee allowed three runs -- two earned -- and six hits with a walk, striking out 12 batters in 6 1/3 innings. Nageotte, a 21-year-old from Ohio, fanned five straight batters between the third and the fifth and struck out the side in order in the sixth. The 6-3, 200-pound righthander, who led the Class A Midwest League in both SO/9 IP (11.02) and total strikeouts (187) last year, has fanned 45 batters in his last 28 1/3 innings-pitched and leads the minors with 168 total. The streak is the longest of its kind since Rick Ankiel fanned 10 or more in six straight starts for Johnson City last season.

Salt Lake (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) outfielder Nathan Haynes hit safely in 17 straight games (25-69, 5 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 SB) July 19-Aug. 7, raising his average from .254 to .290. Haynes reached base safely by hit or walk in 24 consecutive games July 12-Aug. 7 (36-104, 6 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 SB).

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A International League) right-hander Evan Thomas won his seventh consecutive decision in the Red Barons' 6-2 victory at Rochester on August 3. Thomas allowed two runs and five hits with a walk and four strikeouts over six innings to win his second straight start. The 28-year-old, who won five consecutive starts between June 20-July 14, retired eight of the first nine batters and five of the final six that he faced, improving to 8-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 games, including 15 starts. In his third full season with Scranton, the Florida native has allowed 76 hits and fanned 57 batters in 87 2/3 innings.

Spokane (Class A Northwest League) right-hander Drew Endicott's scoreless innings streak reached 20 2/3 innings after he blanked Tri-City for six innings in a 3-0 win on Aug. 5. The Spokane defense helped secure the shutout -- the fourth of the season for the Indians -- by turning four double plays.

Wisconsin (Class A Midwest League) outfielder Shin-Soo Choo doubled in six consecutive games July 25-30, the longest such streak this season. Warren Morris of Nashville achieved the feat in 2001.

Lowlights
After not driving in a run during the entire month of July, Brevard County (Class A Florida State League) shortstop Eric Miller knocked in the Manatees' lone run of the game with a fourth-inning RBI single during a 4-1 loss to Jupiter on August 1.

Burlington (Class A Midwest League) right-hander Colt Griffin, a 2001 first-rounder, didn't get out of the third inning, allowing seven runs and seven hits in just 2 2/3 innings in a 9-2 loss at Lansing on Aug. 4.

Harrisburg (Double-A Eastern League) designated hitter Jason Brown went 0-for-18 with 12 strikeouts in six games Aug. 1-6 since joining the club from the Pirates organization. Brown was batting .123 with 33 strikeouts in 65 at-bats for three clubs this season.

High Desert (Class A California League) right-hander Ryan Miller allowed four runs and threw three wild pitches and struck out four batters in the first inning of a 16-4 loss to Stockton on Aug. 6. Miller allowed seven runs and five hits over three innings in the contest. He became the fifth minor league to fan four batters in an inning this season.

Lake Elsinore (Class A California League) right-hander Josh Reynolds joined the club after being traded by the Mets (11-5, 3.13 ERA with St. Lucie) and was pounded for seven runs and 10 hits over 3 1/3 innings in a 12-4 loss at Rancho on August 4.

Lakeland (Class A Florida State League) right-hander Calvin Chipperfield returned from Erie and lost his seventh straight start (34 IP, 36 H, 27 R, 24 ER, 21 BB, 25 SO) on August 5 when he allowed five runs on eight hits over four innings against Jupiter. Chipperfield lost his only start in the Eastern League.

San Jose (Class A California League) outfielder Mark Walker went 8-for-66 with 42 strikeouts through August 7, striking out in each of his 21 games since joining the club on July 12. Included was an 0-for-21 stretch with 15 strikeouts and an 0-for-15 stretch with 13 strikeouts, which included whiffs in eight straight plate appearances. Walker joined the club from Shreveport, where he was 2-for-21 with 10 strikeouts. Prior to that Walker played for Hagerstown, fanning 85 times in 230 at-bats, including strikeouts in his last four games. Overall, he has fanned in a 2002 minor league season-high 31 straight games, going 12-for-99 with 57 strikeouts.