MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Explosions all around, Dragons edged 8-7 by Lansing

Published on July 4, 2005 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, OH - An associate of the Fourth of July Holiday usually means fireworks. The Dayton Dragons (36-46, 6-6), and Lansing Lugnuts (43-38, 5-7) engaged in all things ka-boom in a prelude to the post-game fireworks show over Fifth Third Field, but the Dragons were snuffed in the late inning by a stifling Lansing bullpen in Dayton's 8-7 loss to Lansing, before a sellout crowd of 9,010 at Fifth Third Field on Monday night.

The Dragons were well in command with a 7-4 lead through four innings, yet yielded four unanswered runs in the span of three frames. Lansing's winning run came without having to hit the ball out of the infield. Camilo Vazquez (L, 3-3), coming off a spectacular four inning, no-hit performance at Beloit, walked Eric Nielsen and Charlie Anderson with one out, then proceeded to bean Christian Snavely and Luke Hetherington, forcing home the winning run.

Lansing cut the lead to 7-6 in the fourth off reliever Alexander Farfan (ND), when Anderson rapped a two-run double into the right field gap. The Lugnuts threatened to tie the game with a runner 90 feet away on a Hetherington flyout, but were snuffed on a bullseye throw by leftfielder Phil Gentry, gunning the tagged runner at home to end the inning.

The Dragons lifted Lansing though back into a 7-7 tie, when Ryan Klosterman drilled a solo homer to left on the first hitter Vazquez faced.

Both teams exchanged two runs each in the first, with the Dragons tying the game on a two-run double by John Purdom. Lansing took a 3-2 lead after the top of the second, but the Miami Valley's team shot back with four in the bottom of the inning, on a thrilling two-run inside-the-park homer by Cody Strait and a two-run bomb by B.J. Szymanski, both off Lansing starter Danny Core (ND).

Strait's inside-the-park four-bagger is the team's second on the year, with the first also accomplished against Lansing, when Szymanski collected an inside-the-park homer a month ago at Oldsmobile Park.

Lansing chipped away with a run in the third to make it 6-4, but the Dragons hiked the lead to 7-4 in the fourth on a Gentry RBI single.

Jordy Templet (W, 6-4) picked up the win for Lansing in an outing where he was untouchable in three innings, retiring all nine hitters he faced with five strikeouts. Mark Sopko (SV, 4) retired all three hitters faced in the ninth for the save.

Both teams reconvene at Fifth Third Field Tuesday night for game two of the four game series at 7pm, with Dragons righty Ramon Ramirez taking on Lansing southpaw A.J. Wideman. The game can be heard on radio at ESPN Radio 1410-AM and on the internet at www.daytondragons.com, with the pre-game show beginning at 6:30 pm.

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Midwest League Stories from July 4, 2005


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