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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Back over .500 with 6-4 Win

May 10, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, OH - After a 48 minute rain delay, the third game of the four game series between the Dayton Dragons (17-16) and the Cedar Rapids Kernels (16-17) started as a slugfest early and turned into a pitcher's duel before B.J. Szymanski's seventh inning RBI propelled the Dragons to a 6-4 win over the Kernels in front of 8,024 fans at Fifth Third Field.

Early on, Wednesday's game looked as if it would take on the shape of the opening game of the series Monday night as both Dayton and Cedar Rapids picked up early runs. Dallas Morris got the visitors on the board in the top half of the first inning with a two out solo home run to left off Dragons starter Travis Wood (ND). Dayton answered in the bottom half of the inning off Kernels starter Kelly Shearer (LP, 1-3) to tie the game at 1-1. Shearer issued a two out walk to Jay Bruce and then surrendered an RBI double to B.J. Szymanski that found the left field corner scoring Bruce all the way from first to tie the game at 1-1.

Cedar Rapids re-took the lead in the top half of the second inning with its second HR of the night. With two down, Wood walked Brett Martinez to extend the inning for Warner Madrigal, who crushed a Wood offering over the wall in center for a two run shot and a 3-1 Kernels lead. The Dragons had an answer in the bottom half of the inning off Shearer and recaptured the lead at 4-3. With runners at second and third and one down, Mike Griffin singled to left that scored Craig Tatum. Dayton had runners on the corners when Shearer uncorked the first of his three wild pitches on the night that plated Gerardo Cabrera from third. Griffin would move from first to second on the play and took third base when the CR catcher Martinez kicked the ball for an error. A Paul Janish grounder to second scored Griffin from third and Dayton led 4-3.

Wood left the game after 5.0 innings with a 4-3 lead and the chance to win his third game of the season. With Wayne Lundgren (WP, 2-1) on the mound in the sixth inning, Dayton had a defensive meltdown that allowed the tying run to score. Flint Wipke singled and moved to second on a passed ball. Mark Trumbo grounded the ball to second that was kicked by Griffin for the first error on the play. Griffin over threw catcher Craig Tatum at the plate, for the second error on the play, as Wipke broke for home. Tatum chased the ball down and threw wildly past Lundgren covering the plate, for the third error, which allowed Trumbo to advance to third. Lundgren then fanned Martinez to end the inning with the game tied at 4-4.

After Shearer issued back to back two out walks to Janish and Bruce in the seventh, he was pulled for Tim Mattison (ND) out of the Kernels pen. Mattison gave up a single to Szymanski back up the middle to center that scored Janish from second, giving the Dragons a 5-4 lead. Dayton added an insurance run in the eighth on an error by second baseman Marco Albano that plated Tatum, who doubled and moved to third on an infield single by Josh Holden and Dayton led 6-4.

Blake Hendley (SV, 6) shut down the Kernels over the final 2.0 innings to earn his sixth save of the season preserving the win for Lundgren.

The Dragons and Kernels wrap up the four game series Thursday night at Fifth Third Field, with a 7:00 PM first pitch. 1410 ESPN Radio WING AM will carry the game live beginning with the Dragons pre game show at 6:30 PM. All Dragons games in 2006 can also be heard live on the internet at www.daytondragons.com RHP Carlos Fisher (4-1, 2.53 ERA) gets the start for the Dragons, while the Kernels will counter with RHP Stephen Marek (2-1, 2.75 ERA).

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