MWL1 Fort Wayne TinCaps

Late home runs lead to second loss in a row

Published on May 28, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Fort Wayne TinCaps News Release


FORT WAYNE, IN---Zack Cozart's second home run of the night in the top of the ninth inning snapped a 4-4 tie, and the Dayton Dragons went on to defeat the Fort Wayne Wizards by a score of 5-4 on Wednesday night, in the opening game of a four-game series played in front of 5,079 fans at Memorial Stadium.

Cozart, a second round draft choice of the Cincinnati Reds in 2007 out of the University of Mississippi, launched a 3-1 pitch from Fort Wayne closer Jackson Quezada over the 16-foot high wall in left field and into the tater sack with one out and nobody on base, giving Dayton their final lead of the game at 5-4.

The earlier Dragon leads were 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, and 4-3.

The first run came on a sacrifice fly from Keltavious Jones off Wizard starter Jeremy McBryde that scored Cozart (who doubled and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Justin Reed). It was a ball that bounced out of the glove of Fort Wayne leftfielder Yefri Carvajal and into the glove of centerfielder Luis Durango.

The second Dragon run came when in the fourth inning, when McBryde gave up a two-out single by Kevyn Feiner that scored Michael McKennon (who reached base on a one-out double).

Cozart belted a solo home run off Wizard relief pitcher Tyler Davis with one out in the seventh to up the Dayton advantage to 3-0.

Fort Wayne mounted a rally against Dragon reliever Terrell Young when they came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning.

They took advantage of two walks, a bunt single (by Ray Stokes), two wild pitches, a sacrifice fly (from Andy Parrino), and an RBI-double (off the bat of Justin Baum) to score three times and tie the game at 3-3.

The Dragons re-took the lead at 4-3 in the top of the eighth inning off Wizard relief pitcher Derek McDaid, when Logan Parker doubled with one out, advanced to third base on a wild pitch, then scored on a throwing error by McDaid on a ball hit to him by Devin Mesoraco.

Yefri Carvajal belted a 2-2 pitch from Dayton reliever Joseph Krebs off the foul pole down the leftfield line for his second home run of the season leading off the bottom of the eighth to once again tie the contest at 4-4.

The deadlock lasted until Cozart blasted his second home run of the night (and fourth of the year) in the top of the ninth.

Krebs (5-2) picked up the win in relief, while Quezada (1-2) suffered the loss, with Jeff Jeffords getting the final two outs in the game to collect his second save of 2008.

A pair of southpaws will take to the mound in game two of the four-game series on Thursday night.

Matt Teague (4-2, 4.06) will start for Fort Wayne, while Jamie Arneson (0-0, 7.57) will get the ball for the Dragons. The game can be heard on both the radio (ESPN Radio 1380) and the Internet (www.fortwaynewizards.com), beginning with the Hupe Insurance Services Pre-Game Show at 5:40 p.m. (EDT).

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Midwest League Stories from May 28, 2008


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