Strong Arms Guide Aviators
July 1, 2019 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Lafayette Aviators News Release
Lafayette, IN- The Lafayette Aviators (17-11) took the first game of a two-game series against the Springfield Sliders (8-18) by a final score of 5-1.
On the mound for Lafayette, Alex Dorethy (Western Illinois) got off to a bit of a rocky start but recovered nicely. Dorethy limited Springfield to just two hits and one run through the first five innings of play. Monday was Dorethy's first appearance with the Aviators this summer. Throughout Dorethy's start, the Sliders only squared up one ball at the plate, a double from Eric Forbrick, and it ended up becoming their only run off Dorethy.
Lafayette scored the first run of the game in the third inning. Miles Simington (Purdue) walked and then nearly got hosed trying to steal second. On the slide into second, Simington knocked the ball out of the glove of the Springfield infielder trying to make the tag to make it into second safely. The future Purdue Boilermaker scored two wild pitches later to give the Aviators a 1-0 lead.
Matt Mackey (Eastern Illinois) drew a hit-by-pitch in the sixth inning, followed by a Kollyn All (Butler) single to left and a Blake Schmitt (Purdue) walk. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch allowed Mackey to score from third and give the Aviators a 2-1 lead. Matt Phipps (Western Kentucky) then grounded a ball into left to score All and Schmitt, making it a 4-1 lead for Lafayette. The Aviators snuck another run across in the bottom of the eighth when Zach Schwartzenberger (Toledo) scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1.
The Aviators bullpen was phenomenal throughout the second half of the game. After Dorethy gave Lafayette the start they needed, Bryce Konitzer (Illinois State) threw a beautiful three innings in relief. The right-hander did not allow a run while striking out four, including striking out the side in the seventh.
The Aviators take on the Sliders again on Tuesday at Loeb.
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