Dragons top Captains 3-2, begin second half 3-0

Dayton, Ohio — Ruben Ibarra hit a two-run home run and Mat Nelson added a tie-breaking solo homer as the Dayton Dragons defeated the Lake County Captains 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.  The Dragons improved their second half record to 3-0 with the win. 

A crowd of 7,547 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

Cincinnati Reds reliever Derek Law started the game on the mound for the Dragons and worked a perfect top of the first inning with one strikeout. 

Law threw 14 pitches including nine for strikes and did not allow a ball to leave the infield.

Ibarra blasted a long home run to left field with a man on base in the bottom of the first inning to give the Dragons a quick 2-0 lead.  The homer was the eighth of the year for Ibarra.

After Lake County scored two runs in the top of the second to tie the game, Nelson launched a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the same inning to give the Dragons a 3-2 lead.  The home run was Nelson’s 11^th of the season.

Following Nelson’s home run, three Dayton pitchers combined to shutout the Captains over the final seven innings.  Jose Acuña (5-0) worked five innings to earn the win.  Acuña, the regularly-scheduled Sunday starter, pitched in relief of Law.  He tossed five innings, allowing four hits and two runs (one earned) with two walks and four strikeouts.

Owen Holt replaced Acuña to start the seventh inning and was perfect over two frames.  He struck out four of the six batters he faced.  Vin Timpanelli pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his sixth save.  Timpanelli allowed a two-out double and saw the runner advance to third on an error but recorded a strikeout to end the game.

Up Next:  The Dragons (3-0, 36-33) do not play on Monday.  They travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan to open a six-game series with the West Michigan Whitecaps (1-1, 33-34) on Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m.  Hunter Parks (2-3, 3.32) is scheduled to start for Dayton.  The Dragons next home game at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District is Tuesday, July 4 at 7:05 p.m. against the Great Lakes Loons.