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Offense explodes as Hawks bag Dragons 10-1

Posted: 4:33 PM Apr 15, 2012

The South Bend Silver Hawks pounded out a season-best 13 hits en route to a 10-1 win against the Dayton Dragons in the final game of a four game series. The ten runs scored also marked a season-high as the Hawks (5-5) wrapped up a seven-game homestand with a win.

Outfielders Chris Ellison and Tom Belza combined to go 8-for-9 with seven RBI and five runs scored in the win. Belza’s five RBI was a career-high while Ellison posted a career-best four hits. Ellison was 4-for-5 with four runs while Belza finished a perfect 4-for-4.

J.R. Bradley got his first win of the season, tossing six innings and allowing just one earned run on two hits. The right-hander (1-1) walked two and struck out one. The two hits given up for Bradley was a career-best for an outing of six or more innings.

Right-hander Carlos Gonzaelz (0-2) was the losing pitcher for Dayton, allowing six runs - five earned - on eight hits over 4.1 innings. Gonzalez walked one and struck out three.

The Hawks struck first in the first inning after Ellison came into score on a double play off the bat of Matt Helm. Helm’s hitting streak came to an end at a league-best nine games.

An inning later, the Hawks struck for four more runs. With the bases loaded, Ellison doubled down the leftfield line to score two. Belza followed with a two-run single to make it 5-0 and the Hawks scored four
runs on four hits in the inning.

The Hawks added another run in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Marc Bourgeois.

In the sixth inning, South Bend recorded their second four-run inning in which eight men came to the plate. Belza hit a bases-clearing double and later scored on a wild pitch.

The Hawks bullpen tossed three scoreless innings. Willy Paredes got through the seventh and eighth innings unscathed, while Kable Hogben posted a scoreless ninth inning with one strikeout.

Kyle Waldrop paced the Dragons offense finishing 2-for-3. Dayton recorded just three hits, the second fewest Silver Hawks pitching has allowed this season.

The Hawks will travel to Lansing Monday to begin a three-game series with the Lugnuts (9-1). First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST from Cooley Law School Stadium. Archie Bradley (1-1) starts for the Hawks and will be opposed by righty Noah Syndergaard. The Silver Hawks return home on Thursday, April 19 to begin a three-game series with the Beloit Snappers. It will be the Snappers only visit to Coveleski Stadium in 2012. To get tickets call 235-9988 or visit www.silverhawks.com.