Dunlap slam helps Dodgers top Daytona

Published on July 9, 2006 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Vero Beach Devil Rays News Release


(Daytona, FL) - Cory Dunlap hit a grand slam home run in the third inning and the Vero Beach Dodgers held off a Daytona comeback to beat the Cubs 8-7 Sunday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Dunlap finished 3-4 with three runs scored and four RBI thanks to his ninth home run of the season. The rubber match of the series will be Monday night at 7:05 PM.

Dunlap's slam in the third opened up a 6-0 lead for the Dodgers. The first run scored in the second inning when Jamie Hoffman singled in Dunlap. Blake DeWitt added an RBI double in the third.

Mike Megrew made his first start of the year for Vero Beach and was in control from the start. He allowed a first-inning single, then struck out the side in the second and the first two batters of the third. The Cubs scored against him in the fourth when Joe Simokaitis came home on an error. Still on a limited pitch count, that was Megrew's final batter and therefore did not qualify for the win.

The Dodgers regained a 6-run advantage in the fifth. Dunlap reached on a fielder's choice and went to second on Ryan Carter's single. Xavier Paul later brought him in with a base hit to make it 7-1.

Daytona never quit in front of the home fans. Two walks, two errors and two singles in the fifth brought home three runs to cut the deficit in half. Matt Craig delivered the key hit with a two-out, two-RBI base hit.

Vero Beach got a gift in the top of the sixth and it turned out to be the winning run. DeWitt was hit by a pitch with one out. He then stole second and took third on a wild throw. Drew Locke the singled him home for an 8-4 advantage.

Reliever Brent Leach walked Matt Ciaramella to start the bottom of the inning, then tossed consecutive wild pitches to advance him to third. Jake Muyco's infield single scored the run to pull Daytona within 8-5.

The lead further diminished in the 8th. Craig led off with a walk from Leach and went to second on a wild pickoff throw. A wild pitch sent him to third. Leach came back to strike out the next hitter before Kyle Wilson replaced him. Wilson surrendered a home run to his first batter, Matt Ciaramella that made it a one-run game. However, Wilson settled down to get the final five outs of the game and his first save since May 26.

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