Robinson Tames Panthers

 The Dayton Rangers picked up their first win of the 2007 season with a 12-0 shutout of the Dayton Panthers on Sunday. Jacob Robinson, recuperating from a foot sprain in Week 1, dominated the Panthers over seven innings allowing two hits and a walk, while striking out six.

      The Rangers got on the board first in the bottom half of the first inning when Jeremy Cunningham led off with a single and promptly scored on Joe Staten’s league-leading second triple of the season. Jonmarc Lippincott plated Staten with a sacrifice fly to center to make the score 2-0 after one. The Rangers added another run in the third when Steve Marshall’s grounder scored Clint Wolf.

The score was 3-0 through four innings when the Panthers decided to go their bullpen. The Rangers welcomed the new look with 9 runs in the next three innings, highlighted by Marshall’s two-run double and Wolf’s two-run triple.

Offensive performances of note: Jeremy Cunningham 3-for-4 3 runs; Joe Staten 3-for-4 3B, 2RBI; Clint Wolf 2-for-4 3 runs, 2 SB, 3B; Jonmarc Lippincott 2-for-2 2RBI; Steve Marshall 2-for-4 3RBI, 2B; James Robinson 2-for-3 2B, RBI; Brad Clark and Jared Bradley 2-for-4.

Defensive performances of note: Catcher Shane Fallen gunned down a Panther base runner with two outs in the top of the seventh to preserve the shutout. Jacob Robinson did not hit a batter, breaking a string of 14 hits-batsmen over 19 innings this season by Rangers pitchers. Jake became only the third Rangers pitcher in history to record a complete game shutout (Jonmarc Lippincott – 2000, Scott Pollak – 2004).