Dragons end first half with a win

EASTLAKE, Oh - The Dayton Dragons scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to snap a 3-3 tie on the way to a 5-3 victory over the Lake County Captains in the final game of the first half in the Midwest League’s split-season format on Sunday.  The Dragons won two-out-of-three in the series and finished the road trip with a 3-3 record.

Dayton went 16-13 over the final 29 games of the first half to finish the half with a 30-40 record.  They rebounded from an 18-game stretch in May in which they went 2-16, falling to 14-27 on May 17, to build some momentum going into the second half.  The 70-game second half will begin on Friday night at Fifth Third Field in Dayton.  The Dragons can qualify for the playoffs by finishing the second half with one of the two best records from among the six Eastern Division teams that have not yet clinched a playoff berth.

The Dragons took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Junior Arias opened the game with a double off the left field fence and Joe Terry belted a two-run home run to right-center field.  It was Terry’s second homer of the year.

In the fourth, Dayton’s Nick O’Shea doubled to the left field fence with two outs to drive in Sean Buckley from second base to make it 3-0.

Lake County battled back in the fifth, getting back-to-back home runs from Alex Monsalve and Alex Lavisky to pull within one run at 3-2.  They tied the game in the sixth when Monsalve doubled with one out to drive in Francisco Lindor from third to make it 3-3.

In the top of the ninth, Ryan Wright reached on a two-base throwing error by Lake County third baseman Nick Bartolone to start the inning.  Juan Silva got an effective down that Captains pitcher Cole Cook fielded and then threw wildly to first base, allowing Wright to score and Silva to go to second.  Silva went to third on Kyle Waldrop’s sacrifice and scored on a wild pitch to complete the scoring.

Dragons starting pitcher Stalin Gerson tossed the first six innings, allowing five hits and three runs with one walk and four strikeouts, but was not involved in the decision.  James Allen (4-2) followed Gerson and worked two scoreless innings, allowing two walks but no hits to earn the win.  Carlos Contreras pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save.

The Dragons finished the game with nine hits.  Joe Terry was 2 for 3 with a home run and walk.  Arias and Buckley also had two hits.

The Dragons host the Bowling Green Hot Rods on Friday at 7:05 p.m. to open the second half.   Jacob Johnson(0-1, 3.48) will start for Dayton.