3 HRs propel Dragons past Lake County

EASTLAKE, Oh - Juan Silva, Steve Selsky, and Junior Arias all belted home runs and Sean Buckley added three hits to lead the Dayton Dragons to a 9-3 victory over the Lake County Captains in the start of a three-game series on Friday night.

The Dragons matched their season high with 16 hits in the game.  They connected on three home runs in a game for the first time this season.  They have split the first four games of the road trip.

After Lake County scored one run in the bottom of the first, the Dragons erupted for a big second inning.  Selsky started the frame with a single to right and Kyle Waldrop reached on an infield hit.  Buckley singled to center field to drive in Selsky and tie the game, and Silva followed with a home run just to the left of straight-away center field, a three-run shot, to give Dayton a 4-1 lead.  It was Silva’s first homer of the season.

After Lake County scored two runs in the bottom of the second to make it 4-3, the Dragons answered with one in the third and another in the fourth.  In the third, three straight singles by Ryan Wright, Waldrop, and Buckley produced a run.  In the fourth, back-to-back singles by Nick O’Shea and Arias followed by a sacrifice by Juan Perez and an RBI ground out by Joe Terry produced the run.  Then in the sixth inning, Selsky belted a two-out, two-run home run to left field, his third of the year, to make it 8-3.  Arias hit a solo homer leading off the eighth, his third of the season, to close out the scoring.

Dragons starting pitcher Radhames Quezada (5-6) worked the first five and two-thirds innings, allowing five hits and three runs with five walks and three strikeouts to earn his fourth straight victory.  Cole Green replaced Quezada and worked two and one-third scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk with a strikeout.  El’Hajj Muhammad pitched a perfect ninth inning, notching two strikeouts.

The Dragons 16-hit attack had many contributors.  Buckley, Arias, and Selsky each had three hits while Waldrop and Silva had two apiece.   

The Dragons (29-39) battle Lake County on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the second game of the series.  Tanner Robles (4-3, 4.57) will start for Dayton against Lake County’s Cody Anderson (4-4, 3.27). The series and the first half of the Midwest League’s split-season format will conclude on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  The second half opens on Friday, June 22 when the Dragons host Bowling Green at Fifth Third Field.

Notes:  Silva is batting .421 over his last 13 games to raise his batting average from .210 to 256…Green has not allowed a run over his last three outings covering seven and one-third innings.