July 7, 2012

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Great Lakes (R-H-E): 3-8-1
Dayton (R-H-E): 5-8-1

WP: Jacob Johnson (1-0)
LP: Raydel Sanchez (2-4)
Sv: Ryan Kemp (4)

HR: Dayton: Juan Perez (5th, 0 on base in first inning); Yorman Rodriguez (3rd, 1 on base in first inning); Ryan Wright (3rd, 0 on base in first inning); Kyle Waldrop (5th, 0 on base in seventh inning).
HR: Great Lakes: Jan Vazquez (1st, 0 on base in third inning); Pedro Guerrero (5th, 0 on base in fifth inning).

Dayton, Ohio-The Dayton Dragons connected on a season-high four home runs including three in the first inning as they defeated the Great Lakes Loons 5-3 in the first game of a three-game series on Saturday night. A crowd of 8,687 saw the Dragons win their second straight game at Fifth Third Field.

Juan Perez opened the Dragons first inning with a home run to center field, his fifth homer of the year. Two batters later, Yorman Rodriguez drilled a two-run to left field to make it 3-0. The homer by Rodriguez was his third of the season. On the very next pitch, Ryan Wright slammed a home run to left field to make it 4-0. It was also Wright's third of the year. The shots by Rodriguez and Wright marked the first back-to-back homers for the Dragons since Ronald Torreyes and Dominic D'Anna hit consecutive home runs on July 6, 2011.

Great Lakes started back in the third when Jan Vazquez connected on a solo home run, and Pedro Guerrero hit a solo shot in the fifth to make it 4-2. The Loons added another run in the sixth on Pratt Maynard's two-run RBI single to run the score to 4-3.

But Dayton relievers shut down the Loons the rest of the night. Kyle Waldrop hit a solo home run for the Dragons in the seventh, his fifth of the season, to make it 5-3 and close out the scoring.

Dayton starting pitcher Jacob Johnson (1-1) tossed the first six innings and earned his first victory of the season. He allowed six hits and three runs while walking no one and striking out two. El'Hajj Muhammad replaced Johnson to start the seventh and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts. Ryan Kemp worked a scoreless ninth for the save. He allowed a lead-off double but stranded that runner at third. He got a strikeout to end the game.

The Dragons finished the night with eight hits. Rodriguez had a home run and triple, going 2 for 3. Wright's home run extended his hitting streak to 15 straight games, tied for seventh longest in franchise history. The four home runs for the Dragons were the most in a game since June 17, 2011 at Lansing.

The Dragons (6-10) host the Loons (6-10) on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. (WONE 980 AM) at Fifth Third Field. James Allen (5-3, 3.58) will start for Dayton against Great Lakes' Ralston Cash (1-4, 6.12). The series concludes Monday night at 7:00 p.m.