Dayton Dragons at Lansing Lugnuts


April 30th, 2004

Dragons
Name POS AB R H RBI
Chris Dickerson CF 5 1 4 5
Habelito Hernandez DH 6 1 1 0
Joey Votto 1B 5 1 2 2
Ryan Fry RF 5 1 1 1
Walter Olmstead LF 5 0 1 0
Evan Conley 3B 4 2 3 0
Miguel Perez C 3 2 1 1
Troy Cairns 2B 5 1 2 0
Will Hudson SS 4 3 1 1
Lugnuts
Name POS AB R H RBI
Ryan Fitzgerald CF 4 2 2 0
Drew Larsen 3B 3 0 0 0
Brian Dopirak 1B 4 1 1 2
Jake Fox DH 4 1 1 0
Kevin Collins LF 5 1 2 0
Robinson Chirinos 2B 5 1 2 4
Alan Rick C 3 0 1 0
Kyle Boyer RF 3 0 0 0
Carlos Rojas SS 4 1 2 0

Dayton 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 12 16 0
Lansing 4 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 7 11 3

E-Larsen, Chirinos, Boyer, LOB DAY-8, LAN-9, 2B-Olmstead, Conley, Dopirak, Collins, Rojas, 3B-Chirinos, HR-Dickerson (9th inn/3 run), Votto (9th inn/2 run), Fry (9th inn/solo), Chirinos, SB-Fitzgerald

Dragons
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison
Josh Thigpen 4 7 4 4 2 2 ND
Luis Noriega 2 3 3 3 3 2 ND
Jose Guevara 2 1 0 0 1 3 W (1-1)
David Shafer 1 0 0 0 0 2 ND

Lugnuts
Name IP H R ER BB SO Decison
Sean Marshall 5.2 5 1 0 2 8 ND
Wes O'Brien 1.1 1 0 0 1 1 ND
Clay Rapada 1 0 0 0 0 3 ND
Adalberto Mendez 0.1 5 6 6 1 1 ND
Reid Willett 0.2 5 5 3 1 1 L (0-1)

HBP-Fox (Thigpen), Larsen (Noriega), BK-Noriega, PB-Rick
U-Clint Mahan, Mark Ripperger
T-3:14, A-3,817

Lansing State Journal
by Mark Feather

Lansing could only watch helplessly as an almost sure win drifted into deep right again, again and again.

Dayton hit three home runs all to right field, in the top of the ninth and scored 11 runs to erase a six run deficit and take a 12-7 victory over Lansing on Friday.

"That was just awesome, to see the team come together and have everbody pitch in like that," said Dayton first baseman Joey Votto, who followed teammate Chris Dickerson's three run homer in the ninth with a two run blast to tie the game.

"No chance, I was thinking home run, no chance at all," Votto said, "I was just trying to drive something. All you can do there is just try to keep the inning alive."

Dayton did more than just keep the inning alive. As a matter of fact, the Dragons sent 15 batters to the plate, recording 11 hits to set franchise highs for hits and runs scored in an inning.

"There's really no explanation for something like that," said Lansing manager Julio Garcia, who didn't say a word to his team in a silent clubhouse after the game.

The loss spoiled, Sean Marshall's fifth start of the season, as 5.2 inning performance in which he allowed five hits, one unearned run, walked two and struck out eight. He lowered his team best ERA to 1.10, which is among the top five in the league.

In 32.2 innings, Marshall has allowed just four earned runs and struck out 35 batters. Despite that solid pitching, he's earned just one decison this year.

"It does (hurt confidence) obviously," Garcia said, "But as long as he knows he did everything he could while he was in there and this was out of his control."

Closer, Adalberto Mendez, who is tied for the league lead with seven saves had his toughest outing to date giving up five hits, six earned runs, one walk and one strikeout in 1/3 inning to open the ninth. Reid Willett didn't fare much better. He allowed five hits and five runs.

Dayton Daily News

The Dayton Dragons' ninth inning Friday night was one for the record books.

The Dragons came to bat in the top of the ninth trailing 7-1. The final score was Dayton 12, Lansing 7. Dayton scored 11 runs on 10 hits, both single inning team record in their final at bat, stunning the Lugnuts at Oldsmobile Park.

Among the hits in the Dragons' big inning were a three run home run by Chris Dickerson, which cut the deficit to 7-5, and a two run shot by Joey Votto that tied the score.

The game winner was Ryan Fry's opposite field homer that gave the Dragons an 8-7 lead.

Dickerson got his fourth RBI of the inning on an infield hit to give the Dragons a 10-7 advantage. Dayton's final two runs scored on a Lansing throwing error.

Dickerson finished 4 for 5 with five RBI. Evan Conley as 3 for 4 and Votto and Troy Cairns each had two hits.

Carlos Guevara, who threw two scoreless innings of relief, got the victory for Dayton, which improved to 9-12.