Thursday, August 20, 2009

DANS TOP LEAGUE IN ALL STAR SELECTION

4 Danville Dans have been named Post-Season All-Stars topping all other teams. Congratulations to 1st baseman Dabo Worthington (Southern), 3rd baseman Jason Nappi (Mississippi State), right fielder Austin Green (San Diego), who also caught for the Dans, and catcher Nate Johnson (Pepperdine). Adding to the accolades, center fielder Mickie Mahtook (LSU) was named Prospect League Pro Prospect of the Year.

A complete list can be seen at www.prospectleague.com

Friday, August 7, 2009

Dans score late in big win over Dubois

Austin Green had a big night at the plate and the Danville Dans scored six times in their final two at-bats to earn a 9-3 victory over the visiting Dubois County Bombers on Friday evening at Danville Stadium.

The game stayed scoreless into the bottom of the third, when Austin Nola got a Danville rally started with a double. After an out, Dabo Worthington knocked a broken-bat single to left to put runners on the corners. Nola was then thrown out attempting to score on a Jason Nappi grounder to third, but Austin Green came through with a two-out, three-run home run to left-center field to give the Dans a 3-0 lead.

The Bombers quickly cut into the lead, as Justin Miller hit a homer to left field on the first pitch of the top of the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1.

Danville squandered chances to extend its lead in the middle innings. In the fourth, the Dans had two runners in scoring position with one out, but Nola grounded out to first and Cody Yount was cut down at the plate on the play on his delayed attempt to score. One frame later, Danville had the bases loaded with one gone, but Scott Schauer popped out to second and Yount struck out looking to end the frame.

The missed offensive opportunities came back to hurt the Dans when Dubois plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Justin Miller led off the inning with a single, albeit on a high pop-up that fell in front of home plate due to miscommunication between the Danville fielders. Kyle Richardson walked, and Jared Broughton followed with a two-run double down the left-field line to tie the game at three.

The Dans again loaded the bases in the bottom half of the sixth, courtesy of the Bombers’ Eric Jarrett walking the first three Danville batters of the inning. But again the Dans could not come through, as Jarrett got out of the jam by striking out Nate Johnson and Worthington and retiring Nappi on a pop-up to second.

Danville finally came through again in the seventh, when Green led off with a triple a scored on Scott Schauer’s RBI single. After Byron Williams reached on a third-strike wild pitch and Lewellyn walked, Nola lined a sharp single to left to plate two more and give the Dans a 6-3 lead.

The Dans added another three-spot in the eighth inning. After Green walked and Schauer singled, Yount rolled a slow grounder to third, and Broughton promptly threw the ball wide of first and into right field. It was ruled a single and two-base error, resulting in runs from Green and Schauer. Yount later scored on a wild pitch to give the contest its final 9-3 margin.

Lambrix got a no-decision for Danville, throwing 5 1/3 innings and giving up three runs on six hits while striking out six. Kyle Donawerth got the win 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Greg Houston pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Dubois starter Joe Ochs took a no-decision as well, giving up three runs in five innings. Jarrett took the loss, allowing two runs in an inning-plus of work.

Green was 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs for the Dans. Schauer was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs. Miller led the Dubois offense, as he went 3-for-4 with two runs.

Danville improves to 31-21 with the victory and remains in the division race, sitting 1 1/2 games behind the Quincy Gems.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Nola hits for cycle to lead Dans past Dupage

Austin Nola hit for the cycle to lead the Danville Dans to an 11-6 victory over the visiting Dupage Dragons on Wednesday night at Danville Stadium.

The turning point was the bottom of the fifth. Trailing 6-4 entering the frame, the Dans got it rolling in the fifth frame with a one-out walk to Chris Lewellyn. An RBI double from Nola cut the deficit to 6-5, and after Nate Johnson reached on an error and Dabo Worthington walked, Jason Nappi chopped a single into left field to plate the tying and go-ahead runs. Austin Green later singled to right to drive home Worthington and complete the Dans’ four-run onslaught.

Danville trailed early, as Dupage got to Danville starter Justin Amlung quickly, scoring once in the first inning on Dave Reynolds’ RBI groundout. There were two outs with no one on in the third frame when the Dragons started another rally. Catcher Adam Davis walked on a full-count pitch that just missed the strike zone, and Reynolds followed with a sharp single to right. Grant Fillipitch then ripped a double down the left-field line to plate a pair and extend the lead to 3-0.

But Nola erased that deficit with one swing of the bat in the bottom half of the third. After Cody Yount got the Dans’ first hit with a single to left and Lewellyn walked, the shortstop from LSU drove the first pitch he saw just over the left-field fence to tie up the contest.

Dupage came right back with a big inning, this time a three-run fourth. Bryan Roberts led off and was hit by a pitch, and Andrew Brauer reached with one out when his grounder slipped past Worthington, the first baseman, for an error. A passed ball and hits from Sean Flanagan and Brian Martin put the Dragons up 6-3.

It could have been worse for Danville, as Martin initially scored on Adam Davis’ fly ball to center field to give Dupage a four-run lead. But the Dans appealed the tag-up, and Martin was called out for leaving the third base too early, keeping the score at 6-3.

Before its big fifth inning, Danville chipped away at the lead with a run in the fourth, when Worthington walked to lead off the frame and advanced to second on a Nappi single. From there, Worthington stole third and scored when the catcher Davis’ throw sailed into left field.

Nola’s RBI triple in the sixth inning left him only needing a single for the cycle and extended the Dans lead to 9-6. Danville later added a couple insurance runs in the seventh on a Richie Goodenow RBI single and a Ryan Van Amburg RBI groundout.

There was plenty of excitement left, though, with Nola leading off the eighth inning and needing just a single for the cycle. He achieved just that on a two-strike pitch, flicking a ball into shallow center field that fell between two Dupage fielders.

The unsung hero for Danville was its bullpen, as three relievers combined for five perfect innings. The Dragons chased Amlung after four innings, rocking the righty for six runs on six hits and a walk. But Kyle Donawerth picked up his third win of the season by throwing three perfect innings. Brett Huber and Greg Houston followed with perfect innings of their own, as the last 16 Dragons batters to come to the plate were set down in order.

Nola finished 4-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs. Nappi was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run.

Taylor Dennis took the loss for Dupage, allowing six runs in 4 1/3 innings. Martin led the Dragons offense with two hits and a run, and Fillipitch had two RBIs.

With the win, Danville improves to 29-21. The Dans have three scheduled games left and also will likely play a make-up game this Sunday at home.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Dans outlast Quincy for sweep

It took awhile, but the Danville Dans swept a doubleheader against the Quincy Gems on Saturday night at Danville Stadium. The Dans took the first of two scheduled seven-inning games 5-2 before outlasting the Gems 4-3 in 11 innings in the nightcap.

In the second game, Danville’s Mikie Mahtook came through with a clutch home run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the contest at three. The game stayed tied through the 10th inning, thanks to solid relief pitching from reliever on both squads. But the Dans finally ended it in the 11th, when Austin Green led off with a double and scored on Austin Nola’s single to deep right center.

The game had been scoreless through three innings, as Quincy starting pitcher Jimmy Foster and Danville hurler Jacob Lee each stayed out of trouble and induced double plays. Quincy broke the ice in the fourth, when Jacob White doubled to lead off the frame. He then advanced to third base on a groundout and scored on a Brian Farris sacrifice fly that put the Gems up 1-0.

The Dans came back quickly, though, with a run of their own in the bottom half. Nappi led off with a single, advanced to second on a balk and scored on a single to left by Austin Green. Danville had a great chance to add more, but runners were stranded on the corners when Austin Nola struck out and Lewellyn flied out to end the inning.

A big play by Green in right field kept the game tied in the top of the sixth. After a walk, a single and a sac bunt put Gems runners on second and third with one out, Farris lifted a fly ball to right field. Green circled the ball, made the catch and fired a rocket right on target to home plate, where Johnson tagged out Quincy’s White on a very close play.

In the bottom of the inning, Green came through on the offensive side, singling and later scoring from second base when Quincy third baseman John Lorenz let a routine grounder slip past him for an error and a 2-1 Danville advantage.

That lead was short lived, however, as the Gems came back with two runs in the top of the seventh. Jake Hibberd’s one-out RBI single tied the game at two, and he advanced to second on a groundout. The Gems’ Fayard then lined a ball off Danville reliever Greg Houston that deflected into short left field, enabling Hibberd to score from second for a 3-2 lead.

But with his team’s back against the wall, Mahtook came through for the Dans in a big way, leading off the bottom of the seventh with a towering solo home run over the left-field wall to tie the game and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Josh Tols took the loss in the nightcap, allowing the 11th-inning run. Matt Smith, typically a starter pitcher for the Dans, picked up the win with a scoreless inning of work. Green, Cody Yount and Nola each had two hits for the Danville in the game.

Game one wasn’t as eventful. Danville jumped out to a quick lead when Chris Lewellyn and Mahtook led off with back-to-back singles in the first inning to put runners on the corners. An errant pickoff attempt by Quincy starter Lee Valencheck sailed into foul territory in right field, scoring Lewellyn and sending Mahtook to third. Mahtook then scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.

The Dans widened their lead with a three-run third inning. A Nola single, a Lewellyn walk and a Mahtook single loaded the bases to open up the inning. Catcher Nate Johnson then hit a chopper through the right side of the infield for a two-run single, and two batters later Jason Nappi lined a single to right to plate another run and give Danville a 5-0 lead.

Danville starter Aaron Lambrix took over from there. The right-hander was on top of his game, going the distance to pick up his sixth win of the season. In seven innings of work, Lambrix allowed two runs on six hits while striking out six. The only trouble Lambrix ran into was in the seventh, when Quincy strung together four hits and scored runs on a Richie Derbak RBI single and a Hibberd sacrifice fly.

Valencheck took the loss for the Gems in game one. He threw a complete game and allowed five runs on eight hits while striking out three. Myers led the Quincy offense with two hits and a run. Mahtook and Nappi each had two hits for Danville.

Danville is now 27-21 on the season.