Fort Wayne Wizards at Dayton Dragons
April 7th, 2002
| Fort Wayne |
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0 |
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0 |
1 |
3 |
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1 |
0 |
2 |
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7 |
11 |
0 |
| Dayton |
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1 |
0 |
2 |
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1 |
0 |
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0 |
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4 |
7 |
1 |
E-Stanton, LOB FW-7, DAY-2, 2B-McCool, Hastings, Nina, Campana, HR-Reinking (Kelly), Varner (Percosky), Hurtado (Percosky), SACF-Benick 2, SACB-Stockton
SO-Stockton, McCool, Knott, Nina 2, Campana, Varner, Gutierrez, Encarnacion 2, Huguet 3, Lewis, BB-Knott, Reinking, Aquina, Nina
U-Uhl, Rice
T-2:20, A-7,726
Dayton Daily News
by Marc Katz
Two hallmarks of the new season's Dayton Dragons faltered a but Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field, but maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked.
The pitching staff couldn't hold a four run lead and the fielding made enough misplays, if not errors, to help the Fort Wayne Wizards to a 7-4 victory and three game winning streak to end Dayton's class A Midwest League homestand.
"We get a lead like that, we've got to potect it." Dayton manager Donnie Scott said. "For a lot of these guys, it's the first time playing in from of crowds like that. We'll get better."
At least the weather did, with some sun and 50ish temperatures for the first time this week.
Fort Wayne pounded out 11 hits only three of them, a home and two doubles, for extra bases. One of those was misplayed by Noochie Varner in centerfield, a knuckleball that bounced off his glove as he tried to follow it's flight.
The Wizards were helped by the little things. A Slow roller to short stop Wandel Campana by Jackson Aquino in the sixth scored a run when Campana's rushed throw was a little inside the bag and first baseman Jesse Gutierrez made a sweep tag that should have ended the inning.
Instead, Aquino was called safe and a run scored, Fort Wayne's third of the inning.
In the ninth, two more runs scored after Dragons thought they had the lead runner out at third on another throw by Campana.
Base umpire Brent Rive took an extra long time to make that call, leaving Scott thinking the runner would be out as long as third baseman Edwin Encarnacion held onto the ball. Encarnacion did, but Rice made the safe call. It would have been the second out.
"That was an out at third", Campana said, "That was a bad call".
Fort Wayne scored on a hit after that and on an errant throw to second by pitcher Kyle Stanton on what should have been a double play.
"These guys play good defense." Scott said, "We've got to rely on our pitching and defense. The guys will swing better as we go, and as we get a settled lineup."
Scott also praised the Wizards for their timely hitting and good bullpen.
Dragons tales
Varner's homer over the opposite field right field wall in the third was the first for the team this season (through four games), then Omar Hurtado hit one over the high wall in left in the fourth. The Dragons hit four homers in the first three games last year and none in the next six games.
"We scored only one more run after that," Varner said of his homer, "Late in the game, our bats kind of quieted down."
Starting pitcher Steve Kelly allowed two singlesd in the first inning and the double off Varner's glove int he fourth before giving up a home run to Kevin Reinking in the fifth. Two singles to lead off the sixth ended his day, and one of those was an infield hit. He didn't walk any.
Andy Boutwell set a team record with seven straight strikeouts in Saturday's game after allowing Eddie Serrano to tag him with a home run as the first batter he faced. Boutwell struck out eight of the next nine Wizards. The other out came on a foul pop to first.