Kandilas' cycle a breath of fresh air

It's not often you hear a hitter talk about changing his breathing. In David Kandilas' case, it made all the difference.

The Rockies prospect from Australia hit for the cycle and tied a career high with four RBIs on Friday night, leading the Rookie-level Casper Ghosts to a 14-7 romp over the Ogden Raptors.

Kandilas struck out to lead off the game before homering in the third inning. He fanned again to open the fifth, doubled to right field in the sixth and singled in the eighth, setting the stage for his dramatics in the ninth.

"I had it in the back of my mind, but going up to the plate I had no idea, I just wanted to get that fourth hit," Kandilas said. "A few seconds after I slid into third base, I was like, 'I just hit for the cycle.'

"It's unbelievable. It's the best feeling I've ever felt in a baseball game, something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Just incredible."

It was the first cycle in the Pioneer League since Orem's Andrew Romine accomplished the feat on Sept. 7, 2007.

Mired in a 2-for-12 slump to start the Pioneer League season, Kandilas made a subtle change after his first strikeout that affected the rest of his night.

"After my first at-bat, I just made the adjustment and calmed my breathing down," he said. "I was able to widen my stance and it let me see the ball well and let my hands stride toward the ball. I felt it changed everything. It helped me see the ball, I was more comfortable, I trusted in myself more."

Kandilas, who also stole a base, was signed by the Rockies as a non-drafted free agent in April 2008. He's spent the last three seasons in the Pioneer League, batting .262 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 28 games last summer. He established a career high by driving in four runs on July 11 against Orem.

The 20-year-old outfielder spent the offseason playing in the Australian Baseball League, where he hit .274 for the Sydney Blue Sox. Kandilas said it helped him prepare for the 2011 season.

"This past offseason, they started the ABL, which helped me so much heading into Spring Training," he said. "I got some good at-bats and faced quality pitching."

Will Swanner homered twice and drove in five runs for the Ghosts. Like Kandilas, he was struggling to start the year with a .083 average.

"It was huge," Kandilas said of Swanner's game. "We were both struggling with the bat heading into the game and it was a big, huge momentum change. We're both feeling like we're going to carry it into tomorrow and the rest of the way."

James Baldwin slugged a pair of two-run homers and Alexis Aguilar also went yard for the Raptors.