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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Philippe Valiquette impressive in five innings for first professional win

July 11, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, OH - Dayton Dragons (10-9, 40-49) southpaw Philippe Valiquette (W, 1-4) turned in one of his finest outings of his young career, picking up his first win as a professional at 18 years of age in a Dragons 5-2 triumph over the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays (9-10, 42-46) in front of 9,147 at Fifth Third Field on Monday night.

The Dragons, who take three of four from the Devil Rays and finish with a 5-7 season clip against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays affiliate, were powered by Valiquette's five strong innings on the mound, allowing only a run on five hits, with a walk and three strikeouts. Valiquette, rebounding from a previous nightmarish outing against the Lansing Lugnuts where he allowed five unearned runs while failing to get out of the first inning, finished his stint by retiring the last seven of eight hitters faced, including the last five.

Dayton injected the deciding blows in the third inning, pushing across three runs to snap a 1-1 tie. Eight hitters reached the plate, with the rally beginning on three consecutive hits off Southwest Michigan starter Jarrad Lavergne (L, 3-9), all failing to leave the infield. Jeremiah Piepkorn's bases loaded, force-out grounder allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate, followed by back-to-back RBI singles by John Purdom and Bradley Key that put the Dragons in the driver's seat with a 4-1 lead.

All things didn't go smoothly for Valiquette or the Dragons. The Devil Rays struck first in the first inning, on an RBI groundout by Patrick Cottrell. His run-scoring play was set up by a leadoff single that Valiquette surrendered to Fernando Perez, followed by Reid Brignac's sacrifice bunt, which Valiquette easily had a play at second, but ignored Perez and registered the sure-fire out at first. Perez, one of the top base stealers in the Midwest League, stole third to set up the Cottrell's RBI.

Valiquette then settled down to allow no more than four hitters reach the plate in his last four innings. Zac Stott held the Dragons ground despite giving up a solo homer in the eighth to Fernando Frias. Blake Hendley (SV, 12) arrived in the eighth to put out a small fire that Southwest Michigan threatened with, then registered a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 12th save, in 1.1 scoreless innings.

The Dragons got on the board to tie the game at 1-1 in the second, on Trevor Lawhorn's RBI single off Lavergne. Dayton was paced offensively by Lawhorn's efforts, picking up a 3-for-4 night at the plate with two doubles, a stolen base, and two RBI's. Lawhorn's run-scoring double in the eighth gave the Dragons a healthy three-run cushion.

The Dragons will take Tuesday off, returning to play for a three-game road series against the hosting West Michigan Whitecaps, beginning Wednesday night at 7pm. West Michigan will send righty Josh Kauten to the mound against a Dragons starter yet to be announced. 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 11, 2005


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