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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Fall 12-7 in Wild Game

June 17, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio-Johermyn Chavez hit a grand slam home run and drove in six runs as the Lansing Lugnuts defeated the Dayton Dragons 12-7 on Wednesday night in a game that featured five ejections. The Dragons and Lugnuts split the four game series.

Lansing scored four times against Dragons starting pitcher J.C. Sulbaran in the third inning. Balbino Fuenmayor tripled to right field with one out to start the rally. It appeared that Sulbaran might work out of trouble when he got Justin McClanahan to pop to second. But he walked the next two batters before Chavez drilled a long home run to left field with the bases loaded to make it 4-0.

The Dragons scored in the third inning when Kevyn Feiner started the rally with his first of three hits in the game with a single to center field. Feiner stole second and eventually scored on Kevin Coddington's ground out to make it 4-1.

But Lansing's Justin McClanahan drilled a two-run home run against Sulbaran in the fourth to make it 6-1.

The Dragons answered with an RBI double from Frank Pfister in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-2.

In the top of the fifth inning, Sulbaran's first pitch came in behind the head of Chavez and Sulbaran was ejected immediately. Andrew Bowman replaced Sulbaran and the Lugnuts added two runs in the inning to go ahead 8-2. Dayton scored a single run in the fifth to make it 8-3.

In the sixth, Bowman hit McClanahan with a 2-2 pitch to start the inning and he was ejected along with Dragons manager Todd Benzinger, who argued the ejection of Bowman for several minutes. Lansing eventually scored three runs in the inning to jump ahead 11-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lansing's John Anderson hit Dayton's Kyle Day with the first pitch of the half inning and Anderson was immediately ejected along with Lugnuts manager Clayton McCullough.

In the seventh, Dayton's Mike Konstanty lined a two-run home run to left field, his second in three games as the Dragons scored four times in the inning to pull to within four at 11-7. But Dayton could not score again and Lansing added one more run in the ninth to close out the scoring.

Sulbaran (2-1) suffered his first professional loss. He worked four innings, allowing seven hits and six runs with two walks and two strikeouts.

Dayton finished with 13 hits. Along with Feiner's three hits, Andrew Means, Dave Sappelt, and Kyle Day added two.

The Dragons (26-40) host the West Michigan Whitecaps (41-25) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday at Fifth Third Field. Midwest League all-star Matt Fairel (4-3, 2.86) will start for the Dragons against Brandon Hamilton (3-2, 6.52). The Famous Chicken will entertain fans during the game in his only appearance at Fifth Third Field in 2009. The Whitecaps are in the middle of a pennant chase with just four games to play in the first half race. They are one game behind Fort Wayne in the Eastern Division.

The games on Friday and Saturday will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 (Channel 708 on most Time Warner cable systems). Former Reds manager, coach, and player Tommy Helms will provide color commentary.

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