MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Four Dayton Errors Lead to Loss

Published on June 25, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Lansing, Mich.-The Lansing Lugnuts took advantage of four Dayton Dragons errors leading to three unearned runs on the way to a 6-5 victory on Thursday night in the first game of the second half.

Lansing's Jon Talley broke a 5-5 tie with a two-out, run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth inning for the eventual winning run.

Dayton collected five hits and scored three runs in the top of the first inning to jump out to an early lead. Andrew Means doubled off the left field fence to start the game, stole third, and scored on Kevin Coddington's ground out to make it 1-0. Dave Sappelt restarted the rally with a base hit to center and went to third on Carlos Mendez's single to right. Mike Konstanty singled to left to bring in Sappelt and make it 2-0. One out later, Jordan Wideman singled to center to score Mendez and give the Dragons a 3-0 lead.

But Lansing scored three runs in the second to tie the game, taking advantage of a two-base throwing error on a wild pick-off throw by Wideman, the Dayton catcher, and a three-base throwing error by Dragons pitcher Josh Ravin as Lansing made it a 3-3 game.

In the fifth, the Lugnuts again took advantage of a costly error. With a runner at first and one out, Chris Emanuele hit a ground ball back to Ravin that looked like an inning-ending double play ball. But Ravin's low throw to second was dropped by Miguel Rojas and both runners were safe. Rojas was charged with the error. The next batter, Yohermyn Chavez, drilled a two-run double to give Lansing a 5-3 lead.

Dayton tied the game in the seventh. Sappelt singled with two outs and Mendez followed with a single. Konstanty then drilled one to the gap in right-center field for a triple as both runners scored to make it 5-5.

But Lansing broke the tie in the bottom of the eighth against Dragons reliever Jordan Hotchkiss (0-2). With the bases empty and two outs, Mark Sobolewski doubled to left and Talley followed with a single to right to bring in Sobolewski and give Lansing a 6-5 lead.

Dayton got a one-out single from Kevin Coddington in the ninth but Lansing reliever Matt Daly struck out the next two hitters, Sappelt and Mendez, on a total of six pitches to end the game.

The Dragons finished with 12 hits. Konstanty led the offensive attack with two hits and three runs batted in. Sappelt, Mendez, and Kevyn Feiner each had two hits. Means' double in the first extended his hitting streak to eight straight games.

The Dragons (0-1, 28-43) will play at Lansing (1-0, 27-43) again on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Lance Janke (3-3, 3.58) will start for Dayton against Lansing's Josh Wells (3-8, 7.60). The Dragons next home game is Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. vs. Fort Wayne at Fifth Third Field.

Notes: The four Dayton errors marked a season high in the category...Nineteen of the Dragons 36 road games this season have been decided by one run. The Dragons are 5-14 in one-run games on the road.

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Midwest League Stories from June 25, 2009


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