July 26, 2008 | DANVILLE, IL Saturday night saw the DuPage Dragons taking on the Danville Dans once more on the road. The result was much different than their last game, and the Dans ended the Dragons’ win streak with a 10-2 defeat of DuPage. The loss drops the Dragons into a virtual tie for first as the Dragons are 8-6 in the second half while the Dans improved to 7-7.
Things didn’t go as well for Dave Reynolds (Northern Illinois) as he was roughed up in his second start of the season. The Dans started right away scoring three in the first. A leadoff walk and a single set up Andrew Pollack with runners on first and second without an out in the inning. He delivered a two-RBI double and Dans were on the board only three hitters into the game. After recording an out on a fly ball, the Dans loaded the bases on an error and a walk. John Dishon hit a groundball to short that looked like the double play ball the Dragons needed to get out of the inning. But Dishon beat out the throw to first and another run crossed the plate to give the Dans a 3-0 lead.
Danville piled onto their lead with another four runs in the second. A hit by pitch and a single put runners on first and second, then a fielder’s choice was followed by another single and the Dans had the bases loaded once again with one out. Reynolds walked in a run before Dan Kaczrowski would hit a pop fly to second base for an out on the infield fly rule. However, an error on the play advanced each runner a base, scoring another run for Danville. Dan Evatt ripped a triple scoring two more runs for the Dans and ending the night for Reynolds. Tom Filip (Baylor) came in to relieve him and got the next hitter to end the inning on a fly out. He would give up a run in the third when a leadoff triple would come around to score on a one-out single by Kaczrowski and the Dans ended the third with a commanding 8-0 lead.
The Dragons would finally get on the board in the top of the fifth. Leftfielder Mark Noth (Belmont) knocked a one-out single, followed by a walk to centerfielder Justin Wilson (Oakland). Second baseman Jordan Tokarz (Eastern Illinois) smacked a double scoring both runners to cut the Danville lead to 8-2. However, the Dans would get both runs back in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Anthony Manville (Iowa). Evatt started things with a one-out double and scored on a single by Zach Walters. After Walters stole second, a single by Drew Haynes advanced him to third before a single by Chris Lewellyn scored Walters for the second run in the inning.
That was the last of the scoring on the night as the Dans took the game by a final of 10-2. Dave Reynolds dropped his first decision of the season as his record fell to 2-1. Tom Filip pitched well in his three and one-third innings of work, giving up only the one run on three hits. Mark Noth had the only multi-hit game for the Dragons, going 2-for-5 and scoring a run.
The DuPage Dragons next game is scheduled for Monday, July 28th, when they take on the Springfield Sliders at 7:05 pm at the Lisle Sports Complex at Benedictine University. Tickets start at $6 with children five and under admitted free. Group rate are available by calling the Dragons’ ticket office at 630-241-2255.
