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MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Silver Hawks Use Ciriaco's Bat, Glove to Win Series

May 28, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


South Bend, IN - The Dayton Dragons (25-25) are happy that they won't see Pedro Ciriaco and the South Bend Silver Hawks (23-25) for the rest of the first half of the season. Ciriaco provided the game winning RBI and the game saving defensive play to lead the Silver Hawks to the 4-3 victory in the series finale at Coveleski Stadium. With the win, South Bend takes three out of four in the series, and win the first half series six games to two.

South Bend jumped on Dayton starter Carlos Fisher (ND) for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Ciriaco, Leyson Septimo, and Justin Upton hit three singles in a row to load the bases, and Bryan Byrne followed with a two-RBI double to left center to give the Silver Hawks the 2-0 advantage. After a strikeout of Trey Hendricks, a base hit from Greg Thomson scored Upton from third and South Bend led 3-0. Fisher got Ricardo Sosa to line into a double play to end the first inning.

The Dragons finally got to Silver Hawks starter Anthony Cupps (ND) in the top half of the fifth inning. Dayton had runners on in each of the first four innings but were not able to do anything with them. In the fifth, Jay Bruce led the inning off with a blast to dead center that cleared the fence for his 10th homer of the season. The solo shot closed the lead to 3-1. The Dragons would continue to find success in the frame loading the bases with none down for Angel Colon. Colon's SAC fly to right scored B.J. Szymanski from third and the lead was cut to 3-2. Chris Denove delivered the hit off Cupps that would tie the game at 3-3 when the catcher spilt the gap in right centerfield scoring Habelito Hernandez to even up the score.

Aside from those two big innings, the pitchers were able to hold the opponents at bay. That's not to say that the two teams didn't have opportunities. For each of the first seven innings, both teams had at least one base runner per inning. It wasn't until Vincent Bongiovanni (WP, 2-0) set down the Dragons in order in the top of the eighth, and the first 1-2-3 inning was recorded. The Dragons stranded nine runners in the game, while South Bend left 10 on the base paths.

South Bend would climb back on top in the bottom of the eighth. Sosa was hit by a Bo Lanier (LP, 2-2) pitch to lead off the inning. Orlando Mercado sacrificed him to second base. After Manny Ferrer popped up a bunt, Ciriaco lined a base hit to center to score Sosa from second, and give South Bend the 4-3 advantage. The run was the 33rd eighth inning run allowed by the Dragons in fifty games this season.

Silver Hawks reliever Enmanuel Duran (S, 1) allowed a lead off double to pinch hitter Eric Eymann in the top of the ninth. Mike Griffin grounded out to second to advance Eymann to third base. Mike DeJesus followed with a sharply hit ground ball against a drawn-in infield but Ciriaco made a great diving play to retire DeJesus and keep Eymann at third. Bruce then flew out to center to end the game and allow South Bend to take the series three games to one.

The Dragons open a four game series at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan with the West Michigan Whitecaps beginning Monday afternoon with a 2:00 PM first pitch. RHP Zach Ward (3-0, 3.24 ERA) gets the start for the Dragons, while the Whitecaps will counter in the series opener with LHP Ramon Garcia (6-1, 1.05 ERA). 1410 ESPN Radio WING AM will carry the game live beginning with the Dragons pre game show at 1:30 PM. All Dragons games in 2006 can also be heard live on the internet at www.daytondragons.com.

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Midwest League Stories from May 28, 2006


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