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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Silver Hawks Come from Five Down to Beat Dragons 9-8

April 7, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, OH - The South Bend Silver Hawks (2-0) pulled out an exciting 9-8 win over the Dayton Dragons (2-0) on Saturday night at Fifth Third Field, coming back from a pair of five run deficits. The Dragons led 6-1 after three innings and 8-3 after five before the defending Midwest League Champions began the comeback.

The Dragons got on the board in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at 1-1 on B.J. Szymanski's first home run of the season. The tape measure shot to right center off South Bend starter Anthony Cupps (ND) pulled the Dragons even after the visitors picked up a second inning run off Dayton starter Carlos Fisher (ND).

Cupps didn't make it out of the third inning, as the Dragons put five runs on the board to take a 6-1 lead. J.D. Reininger led off the inning with a home run to left, giving Dayton a 2-1 lead. With one down Paul Janish singled and Jay Bruce followed with a double to give the Dragons second and third with one down. Cupps uncorked a pair of wild pitched scoring both runners and the lead was 4-1. Szymanski singled, stole second and moved to third on an error by Silver Hawks catcher Orlando Merchado and was driven home by Bobby Mosby for a 5-1 Dayton advantage. Craig Tatum closed out the scoring with an RBI double to right center scoring Mosby and giving the Dragons a 6-1 lead.

The team's traded two runs innings in the fourth, as South Bend came back to within 6-3 picking up a pair of runs off Fisher on Mercado's two RBI single. The Dragons answered on Mike Griffin's RBI triple off reliever Ryan Doherty (ND) and the third run scoring wild pitch by a Silver Hawk pitcher, plating Griffin and pushing the lead back to five at 8-3.

South Bend chipped away at the lead picking up three in the sixth, one in the seventh off Fisher and the Dragons bullpen. Fisher lasted 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and five runs on the night. The right hander struck out and walked two. Terrell Young (ND) gave up a pair of runs in his 1.1 innings of work, allowing the third run of the sixth inning and one in the seventh.

German Melendez (LP, 0-1) recorded the final out for the Dragons in the seventh as Dayton took an 8-7 lead to the eighth. South Bend picked up a pair in the eighth to complete the come back. Jo Jo Batten tied the game up with an infield single scoring Steve Mena who led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on Pedro Ciriaco's base hit to right. Leyson Septimo got home the go ahead run with a base hit off Melendez to left to put the Silver Hawks up 9-8.

The South Bend pen was outstanding in the later stages of the game as Vincent Bongiovanni (WP, 1-0) and Jonathan Velverde (SV, 1) combined to shutout the Dragons over the final five innings of the game. Bongiovanni tossed 3.1 innings of no hit, scoreless relief to pick up the win. Velverde tossed a one, two, three ninth to earn his first save of the season

The Dragons and Silver Hawks will play the third game of the four game series on Saturday night at Fifth Third Field. ESPN Radio 1410 Wing AM will carry the game live beginning with the Dragons Magazine at 6:00pm, followed by the pre game show at 6:30 PM, with the first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM. LHP Philippe Valiquette gets the start for Dayton, while South Bend will counter with RHP Ramon Sanchez.

Check out the Dayton Dragons Statistics



Midwest League Stories from April 7, 2006


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