DANVILLE — Getting out of the gates quickly has not been a problem for the Danville Dans this season.

Danville has scored at least one run in the first inning in five of its first six games, and the Dans have scored 14 first-inning runs.

A quick start was the difference on Tuesday night as Danville scored six first-inning runs to beat the Hannibal Cavemen 6-4 in a game shortened to five innings by rain.

“It makes things a lot easier,’’ Danville manager Steve Bieser said. “We have been pretty good at that all season long.

“The thing we want to straighten out is if we do it in the first, why can’t we keep it going in the second, third or fourth and keep it going.’’

One of the keys to fast starts for the Dans has been leadoff batter Sam Frost.

The shortstop from Mississippi State got Tuesday’s game started with a walk, a stolen base and he scored the first run on Jesse Tierney’s double to left.

“Coach is always talking about how we need to pressure defenses early. The more runs the better,’’ Frost said. “That’s what I looking to do. I’m supposed to be the guy setting the table for the guys in the middle part of the lineup.’’

Frost also did his share of clearing the table as he capped the six-run first inning with a two-run single.

“Anytime, you can get a big inning started like that, it’s a good feeling,’’ he said.

And what about driving home two runs and going 3-for-3 in the contest?

“I was seeing the ball well and I was able to get a couple balls squared up,’’ he said.

Bieser said that he always saw Frost as the prototypical leadoff hitter coming into the season.

“He understands how to utilize plate appearances,’’ Bieser said. “He understands his part of the game, and when he needs to do things for us.

“In the first few games, even when he wasn’t succeeding at the plate, he was still helping the guys behind him.’’

But, Bieser wants to his team start putting its offense together in more that just one inning.

“The top two guys in our lineup have been very good about getting on base and setting things up,’’ he said. “But, we need to be able to get our offense started in the middle part of the lineup and the bottom part of the lineup.’’

Danville starter Donovan Drake (1-0) made those six run stand up as he earned a complete game victory.

The right-hander from University of Indianapolis allowed four runs — only one earned — while walking three and striking out seven.

“I thought Donovan threw the ball pretty well,’’ Bieser said. “He didn’t command as well as we hoped, but we also didn’t play very well behind him.’’

Hannibal protested Tuesday’s contest in the fifth inning, stating that Danville didn’t get tarps onto the mound and home plate area quick enough when home plate umpire Eric Harmon summoned the teams off the field in the fifth inning.

The delay lasted 23 minutes and 10 of those minutes were spent with the Hannibal pitcher Kyle Grana instructing Danville’s groundskeeper Joe Pounds how he wanted the mound.

“I don’t understand where they are coming from,’’ Bieser said. “I’m not sure what they expected us to do in that situation. We do what we can with what we have.

“Things were pretty saturated at that point. It wasn’t like we got a lot of rain after that.’’

The game was resumed for 30 minutes before a lightning storm came through the area and forced the game to be cancelled.

Under baseball rules, the Danville Dans are credited with a win as the game had completed five innings.

A ruling on the protest will come from Prospect League commissioner David Chase.

While the Dans continue to get players to report, they may have lost one on Tuesday night.

Second baseman Jake Huxtable took a pitch off of his hand. He was replaced by Brooks Oursler, who walked.

Bieser said he wasn’t sure about the severity of the injury or when Huxtable would be able to return.

The Dans are back in action tonight at Danville Stadium as they will host the DeKalb County Liners, one of the new teams in the Prospect League this season.