Michigan Battle Cats at Dayton Dragons
April 17th, 2002
| Michigan |
|
|
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
7 |
0 |
| Dayton |
|
|
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
X |
|
|
8 |
13 |
1 |
E-Gutierrez, LOB MIC-6, DAY-6, 2B-Rodriguez, Lentini, Lydic, Davis, Prince 2, 3B-Varner, Davis, HR-Rodriguez (Salmon), Conrad (Salmon), Campana (Pluta), HBP-Stegall, Encarnacion
HB-Pluta, Salmon, SO-Rodriguez, Lentini 2, Shelf, Checksfield 2, Mote 2, Lydic 2, Lucas, Nina 2, Bergolla, Gutierrez 3, Encarnacion, Davis, Hurtado 2, BB-Lentini, Bergolla
T-2:15, A-7,735
Battle Creek Enquirer
The Battle Cats lost on the road for the first time all season as Dayton opened up a 7-2 lead after three innings and cruised to an 8-4 win over the Battle Cats on Wednesday.
Michigan was 5-0 on the road including a win over Dayton in Tuesday's opener of this four game series.
The Dragons got to Michigan starter Anthony Pluta (0-2) rocking him for nine hits and seven earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings.
The offensive effort by the Cats was led by the top two batters in the order Mike Rodriguez and Brooks Conrad.
Both hit two run home runs to account for the Cats four runs. Michigan (9-4) also got a double and a run scored from Joe Lydic.
Dayton Daily News
by Marc Katz
One night earlier, the Dayton Dragons had trouble stinging hits together.
Wednesday night, if hits were pearls, the Dragons strung enough together to make an extra large necklace.
Two hits and two walks in the first inning produced three runs. And four hits in the second produced another (one was wiped out in a play at the plate) as the Dragons went on to beat the Michigan Battle Cats, 8-4 in a Class A Midwest League game played before 7,735 at Fifth Third Field.
Five Dragons, Amaurys Nina, Noochie Varner, Justin Davis, Bryan Prince and Wandel Campana had two hits each among the season high 13 the Dragons maanged (the eight runs are a season high, too), and Davis collected his with a bat he broke in the night before, not the one he was nurturing prior to the game.
"That was my backup model." said Davis of the bat in the back of his locker stall with the fresh tape carefully wound around the handle. "The other one feels good right now, You've got to have more than one bat."
The bat felt good cranked out a two run, two out double to center in the first inning, following a Varners run scoring triple and a walk to Edwin Encarnacion. In the third, Davis cranked a triple to center, scoring on Omar Hurtado's single during a three run inning that included short stop Campana's first homer in two years with the team.
It brought a smile to manager Donnie Scott's face. "It was awfully nice, that's what we're going to have to do. That's a good clud over there that can swing the bats. You're going to have to swing with them.
That's what the Dragons did, and when the Battle Cats scored two in the top of the third to cut Dayton's lead in half, the Dragons hardly blinked.
The big damage was done against starter Anthony Pluta, the parent Houston Astros' No 6. rated prospect according to Baseball America. In his 2 2/3 innings, he allowed nine hits, walked one and hit one to go with seven runs.
Dragons Tales
Austin Kearn became the fourth player from the inaugural 2000 Dragons to make his major league debut, joining fellow outfielder Adam Dunn, and pitchers Jose Acevedo and Brian Reith.
Mark Wohlers also pitched for the 2000 Dragons and made it to the majors, but the former Atlanta Braves reliever was on a rehab assignment as was Jose Rijo last season when he pitched for Dayton.
Scott joked "I ought to get myself thrown out in the first inning so I can see Kearns play (on televison) in Cincinnati."
Freddie Benavides, Dayton's first manager, is in town as a roving infield instructor. He managed Kearns and the others who made the Reds.
"I'm proud, but there's still a lot of work to be done with them." Benavides said, "The kids developed before out eyes."
Wright State's Joe Powers made his fourth and probably best appearance, striking out four while allowing a hit and a walk in two innings. Powers has yet to give up an earned run in five innings, the same as closer Nate Cotton.