MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons Move into Third with Extra Inning Win

Published on May 22, 2006 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Battle Creek, MI - For the third consecutive game, a pitcher's duel broke out at C.O. Brown Stadium, with the Dayton Dragons (24-21) and Southwest Michigan Devil Rays (23-21) starting pitchers once again setting the tone. The Rays jumped out to an early lead against Dayton starter Carlos Fisher (ND) only to have the Dragons battle back against Rays starter Greg Reinhard (ND). The Dragons would need extra innings to pick up the win as Habelito Hernandez drove home the go ahead run in the top of the 11th inning with an RBI double, the snapped the 1-1 tie and pushed Dayton to a 3-1 11 inning win over the Rays in the third game of the four game series.

Southwest Michigan picked up an unearned run against Fisher in the home half of the second inning. Rhyne Hughes led off the inning and reached on an error by Dayton second baseman Mike DeJesus. Matt Spring followed with a base hit and Neil Walton loaded the bases on a SAC bunt that was thrown away for an error by Fisher. With none down and the bases loaded, Alex Jamison picked up an RBI with a single to center field giving the Rays a 1-0 lead. Fisher was able to pitch his way out of a potentially big inning allowing only the one unearned run.

The Dragons were kept off the board by Reinhard until the fifth inning, as the SWM right hander picked up a half dozen strikeouts through 4.0 innings. In the fifth, Dayton picked up a lead off double from Hernandez. Hernandez advanced to third on a ground out by Craig Tatum. With two down and runners on the corners, Mike Griffin singled to right field scoring Hernandez from third and tying the game at 1-1.

Reinhard was done after 6.0 innings, while Fisher lasted a bit long working through the seventh. The Rays starter allowed three hits and one run, earned, with six strikeouts and one walk. In his 7.0 innings pitched, Fisher also allowed one run, unearned, while scattering four hits and striking out six with no walks.

The Dragons bullpen was the huge shot in the arm on the long afternoon, as Logan Ondrusek (WP, 1-0) and Blake Hendley (SV, 10) combined to keep the Rays off the board from the eighth inning on. Ondrusek retired all nine of the batters he faced, five via strike out as the tall lanky reliever picked up his first win as a Dragon.

In the eleventh inning Kevin Lynn (LP, 3-1) the third pitcher for the Rays working on his third inning of the afternoon walked the Dragons lead off man, B.J. Szymanski. Eric Eymann laid down a SAC bunt to move Szymanski up second base. With one down Hernandez ripped a double that just snuck over the bag at third, despite protests from the SWM dugout, the call stood and Szymanksi scored from second base with the go ahead run. Craig Tatum added an insurance run with a RBI single to left to push the lead to 3-1.

In the bottom of the 11th, Hendley allowed a lead off single to Hunter Vick but set down the Rays three in a row following the lead off hit to record his 10th save of 2006.

The Dragons and Devil Rays wrap up the four game series with the Devil Rays Tuesday night at C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan with a 6:35 PM first pitch. RHP Zach Ward (3-0, 3.89 ERA) gets the start for the Dragons, while Southwest Michigan will counter with RHP Jeff Kamrath (0-2, 6.19 ERA). 1410 ESPN Radio WING AM will carry the game live beginning with the Dragons pre game show at 6:00 PM. All Dragons games in 2006 can also be heard live on the internet at www.daytondragons.com.

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Midwest League Stories from May 22, 2006


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