SHOOTING VICTIMS HONORED BETWEEN DRAGONS GAMES
When Dayton Dragons manager Luis Bolivar first got the news of the mass shooting in the Oregon District early Sunday morning, he had one thing on his mind.
“The first thing I thought was about the guys being there,” Bolivar said. “I spent all morning making calls and talking to them. It was nerve-wracking.”
All the calls checked out and everyone was safe.
“None of t hem were there,” Bolivar said. “But it was nerve-wracking. I was afraid.”
In light of the shooting,
the Dragons postponed their Sunday afternoon game with Lake County, meaning two seven-inning games Monday night.
The Dragons honored the shooting victims between games by placing nine white roses on home plate as their
names were read on the public-address system.
“We had a big talk today about it,” Bolivar said. “(The players) feel for the community. They are not from here, but they feel for them.” The Dragons split the dou
bleheader. Dayton watched a 6-1 lead in the first game turn into a 13-7 setback before winning the second game 1-0 on a fifth-inning home run by Brian Rey.
“We feel that as long as we can keep the game close, we always have a chance,” Bolivar said. “Getting the second game was huge for us to keep the momentum going.”
Dragons starter Connor Curlis worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth. Curlis (4-3) struck out 10 and did not walk a batter in six innings. Clate Schmidt got his second save.
“Curlis pitched well,” Bolivar said. “I was very happy with how he threw. He was really locked in. When he had bases loaded and no outs, he made some great pitches to get out of the inning.”
The Dragons got off to a fast start in the opener, send- ing 10 hitters to the plate as part of a six-run first.
Mariel Bautista led off with a home run. Rey and Morgan Lofstrom had back-to-back RBI doubles and Cameron Warren cracked a two-run double for a 5-1 lead.
Randy Ventura singled home the final run of the first inning.
After Lake County cut the deficit to 6-3 in the second,
the Dragons got the run back without benefit of a hit.
Michael Siani reached on an error and stole second. The throw to second got past the shortstop, allowing Siani to advance to third. He scored when the center fielder over-ran the overthrow on the stolen base attempt.
That, however, was to be the best it would get for Dayton.
The Dragons had two hits
the last five innings, ending the game with a double play in the seventh with bases loaded and one out. “When you get seven runs
the first two innings, it’s one of those games where you’ve got to stay locked in,” Bolivar said. “You’ve got to stay locked in the whole game and keep adding and adding.”
Lake County took the lead with four in the fifth before adding four in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Jerry D’Andrea fell to 0-3 after allowing six runs on three hits and three walks while striking out six.