Here's one that really got away
Up 7-1 in top of 9th, Lansing gives up 11, ends up losing 12-7

By Mark Feather
For the Lansing State Journal

Lansing could only watch helplessly as as an almost-sure win drifted into deep right field again, again and again.

Dayton hit three home runs, all to right field, in the top of the ninth and scored 11 runs to erase a six-run deficit and take a 12-7 victory over Lansing on Friday.

"That was just awesome, to see the team come together and have everybody pitch in like that," said Dayton first baseman Joey Votto, who followed teammate Chris Dickerson's three-run homer in the ninth with a two-run blast to tie the game.

"No chance I was thinking home run, no chance at all," Votto said. "I was just trying to drive something. All you can do there is just try to keep the inning alive."

Dayton did more than just keep the inning alive. As a matter of fact, the Dragons sent 15 batters to the plate - recording 11 hits to set franchise highs for hits and runs scored in an inning.

"There's really no explanation for something like that," said Lansing manager Julio Garcia, who didn't say a word to his team in a silent clubhouse after the game.

The loss spoiled Sean Marshall's fifth start of the season, a 5.2 inning-performance in which he allowed five hits, one unearned run, walked two and struck out eight. He lowered his team-best ERA to 1.10, which is among the top-five in the league.

In 32.2 innings, Marshall has allowed just four earned runs and struck out 35 batters. Despite that solid pitching, he's earned just one decision this year.

"It does (hurt confidence), obviously," Garcia said. "But as long as he knows he did everything he could while he was in there and this was out of his control."

Closer Adalberto Mendez, who is tied for the league lead with seven saves had his toughest outing to date giving up five hits, six earned runs, one walk and one strikeout in 1/3 inning to open the ninth.

Reid Willett didn't fare much better. He allowed five hits and five runs.