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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Fall in 10 Innings

September 4, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio - The South Bend Silver Hawks scored four runs in the top of the 10th inning against an exhausted Dayton Dragons bullpen as the Silver Hawks defeated the Dragons 6-2 on Friday night at Fifth Third Field. South Bend took a commanding lead in the playoff wildcard race with the win, cutting their "magic number" to two heading into the final weekend of the season. South Bend will need a combination of Silver Hawks wins and Dragons losses totaling two to clinch the wildcard spot.

The Dragons brought on closer Donnie Joseph with one out in the seventh inning in a 2-2 game. Joseph, who had not pitched more than two innings in a game with Dayton this season, shut down the Silver Hawks in the seventh, eighth, and ninth. But when Joseph went back out for the 10th, the Silver Hawks put together a rally, loading the bases with no one out. Joseph walked Reynaldo Navarro to force in the tie-breaking run. Mark James replaced Joseph and allowed two hits as three additional runs scored to give South Bend a 6-2 lead.

The Dragons did not have a hit after the third inning and did not have a base runner after the fifth. South Bend's Justin Mace pitched a perfect bottom of the 10th to close out a big Silver Hawks win.

For the Dragons to reach the playoffs, they must get some help from the last place Lansing Lugnuts. If Dayton sweeps playoff-bound Great Lakes in a three-game series starting Saturday in Midland, Michigan, they would reach the playoffs if South Bend loses one of two games against Lansing. If Dayton wins two of three games at Great Lakes, they would get to the playoffs if South Bend loses both games with Lansing.

On Friday night, South Bend took the lead in the top of the second inning on a solo home run by Ryan Wheeler, his first of the year with South Bend.

Dayton came back to get the lead in the bottom of the third. Josh Fellhauer was hit by a pitch, went to second on Cody Puckett's ground out, and scored on Byron Wiley's single to right to tie the game. Wiley went to second on a wild pitch and took third on the same play when the throw to second by catcher Rossmel Perez went into center field. Carlos Mendez's sacrifice fly brought in Wiley to give Dayton a 2-1 lead.

South Bend tied the game in the sixth, getting three singles in the inning including a one-out hit by Alfredo Marte that drove in the run. There was no more scoring until the 10th.

Dragons starter Chase Ware, making just his second start, was outstanding but did not factor into the decision. He worked the first six innings, allowing four hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeouts. After allowing the homer to Wheeler in the second, he did not give up another hit until the sixth.

The Dragons play at Great Lakes on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in the first game of a three-game series. Ezequiel Infante (2-1, 2.85) will start for Dayton.

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