July 18, 2012

Click Here to see the Box Score

Clinton (R-H-E): 4-8-0
Dayton (R-H-E): 1-4-2

WP: Trevor Miller (6-6)
LP: Stalin Gerson (4-7)
Sv: None

HR: Dayton: Ryan Wright (5th, 0 on base in second inning).
HR: Clinton: None

Dayton, Ohio-Trevor Miller fired a nine-inning complete game and the Clinton Lumber Kings broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fourth inning to defeat the Dayton Dragons 4-1 on Wednesday night. A crowd of 8,297 saw the Dragons fall to 9-16 in the second half as they dropped the first game of a six-game homestand.

Miller (6-6) allowed just four hits and one run, on a second inning solo home run by Dayton's Ryan Wright, in going the distance. He walked no one and struck out five.

"No offense tonight," Dragons Manager Delino DeShields said. "That is our struggle, to be consistent. We really didn't have an approach up there tonight. Guys were swinging at first pitch breaking balls."

Dayton hitters had trouble getting the ball in the air. Miller induced 17 ground ball outs while recording just three fly ball outs.

"He threw a good game," DeShields said. "He threw strikes...he didn't walk anybody. That was the key to the game."

Wright's home run, his fifth of the season, gave the Dragons a brief 1-0 lead. It was Wright's fourth homer of the second half.

"Ryan has been solid," DeShields said. "He just goes out there and does his job."

Clinton tied the game in the top of the third on Dillon Hazlett's sacrifice fly after a pair of singles started the inning. In the top of the fourth, Clinton's Ramon Morla singled with one out and the next two batters walked to load the bases. Guillermo Pimentel hit a line drive to shortstop that was caught by Sammy Diaz, and Diaz threw back to second in an effort complete an inning-ending double play. The throw beat the runner to the base, but it glanced off the glove of Wright, allowing Morla to score and give Clinton a 2-1 lead. Diaz was charged with the error. Mike Dowd then singled up the middle to bring in two more runs and make it 4-1.

The Dragons had a chance to score in the sixth inning when Juan Perez and Sammy Diaz produced back-to-back singles with two outs. Joe Terry hit a hard grounder up the middle that appeared to be headed to center field, but Hazlett, the Clinton second baseman, was an excellent backhanded stop to throw out Terry and end the inning. Dayton did not get another man on base until the ninth when Perez doubled with no one out and went to third on an error. But the next three batters were retired without a ball leaving the infield to end the game.

Dayton starting pitcher Stalin Gerson tossed six innings and allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned) while walking three and striking out three.

"Stalin was good," DeShields said. "He had his customary one inning where he loses it."

Lucas O'Rear followed Gerson, pitching two scoreless innings without allowing a hit. He struck out four and walked three. Carlos Contreras threw the final inning, striking out two.

The Dragons finished with four hits. Juan Perez collected two, including a single in the sixth and a double in the ninth.

The Dragons host the Lumber Kings again on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Fifth Third Field. Jacob Johnson (1-2, 4.69) will start for the Dragons against Clinton's Seon-Gi Kim (2-2, 4.67). The game will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 (Time Warner Channels 23 & 372). Ohio State University head baseball coach Greg Beals will serve as guest commentator.