South Bends Tops Dragons 11-1, Wins 10th Straight

South Bend 11, Dragons 1

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Dayton, Ohio-Brandon Drury belted two home runs to lead the South Bend Silver Hawks to an 11-1 victory over the Dayton Dragons on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Field. The win was the Silver Hawks' 10th straight as they improved their record to 34-16. The Dragons fell to 22-30.

South Bend broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fifth inning, taking advantage of an unusual play. With a runner at first base and one out, Pedro Ruiz hit a bouncer toward the middle that Dragons shortstop Zach Vincej was in position to field and start an inning-ending double play. But the ball hit the second base bag and skipped into center field, leaving runners at second and third. Kevin Medrano followed with a single up the middle to drive in two runs, and Medrano scored on a double by Socrates Brito to make it 4-1. 

South Bend added two more runs in the sixth, one in the seventh, and four in the ninth to close out the scoring.

Dragons starting pitcher Sal Romano (4-5) absorbed the loss. He worked five innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs with two walks and four strikeouts. He left the game when he was struck on the lower leg by a line drive with no one out in the sixth inning.

Tony Amezcua replaced Romano and tossed three innings, allowing one run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout. Austin Salter entered the game to start the ninth inning and allowed four runs without recording an out. He gave up three hits and two walks. Wes Mugarian finished the ninth, allowing no runs on one hit with two strikeouts.  

The Dragons collected eight hits. Jeff Gelalich notched his fourth straight multi-hit game, going 2 for 4. Joe Terry and Tanner Rahier also had two hits.

The Dragons host South Bend again on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Fifth Third Field. Robert Stephenson (4-3, 3.74) will start for the Dragons against South Bend's Daniel Watts (7-1, 2.84). The game will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 (Time Warner Cable channels 23 and 372). All Dragons games can be heard on WONE Radio (980 AM) and via the internet at daytondragons.com and wone.com.