Big 7th Inning Lifts Lansing Past Dragons, 5-4
Lansing 5, Dragons 4 Click here for the box score Lansing (R-H-E): 5-6-1; Dayton (R-H-E): 4-5-3 Win: Brock Whittlesey (3-1); Loss: Jake Gilbert (5-2); Save: Calvin Coker (1) HR: Dayton: Austin Hendrick (10th, 1 on base in fourth inning). HR: Lansing: None Dayton, Ohio—The Lansing Lugnuts scored four runs in
Lansing 5, Dragons 4
Click here for the box score
Lansing (R-H-E): 5-6-1; Dayton (R-H-E): 4-5-3
Win: Brock Whittlesey (3-1); Loss: Jake Gilbert (5-2); Save: Calvin Coker (1)
HR: Dayton: Austin Hendrick (10th, 1 on base in fourth inning). HR: Lansing: None
Dayton, Ohio—The Lansing Lugnuts scored four runs in the seventh inning and held on to defeat the Dayton Dragons 5-4 on Thursday night. Lansing has won two-of-three games so far in the six-game series.
A crowd of 7,945 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.
The loss dropped the Dragons second half record to 12-25 and their full-season record fell to 51-52. The Dragons are below the .500 mark in overall record for the first time since the end of the 2019 season. Lansing improved to 16-23 in the second half (41-64 overall).
Game Recap: The Dragons took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Austin Hendrick blasted a two-run home run to right-center field, his 10th homer with the Dragons.
Meanwhile, Dragons starting pitcher Chase Petty was dominant in just his third High-A appearance. The youngest pitcher in the league at age 19, Petty fired four no-hit innings, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced while striking out six. The only base runner against Petty came on a two-out walk in the first inning. He departed with a 4-0 lead after throwing 52 pitches.
Reds reliever Art Warren, with the Dragons on an injury rehab assignment, worked a scoreless fifth inning before the Lugnuts scored a single run against James Marinan in the sixth to make it 2-1.
The Dragons had a rough defensive inning in the seventh, committing a costly error and allowing another hitter to reach on a misplayed bunt to start the inning. Lansing tied the game on a bases loaded walk by Jake Gilbert and took the lead on a wild pitch that brought in a runner from third and put the Lugnuts in front 3-2. A two-run single by Max Muncy made it 5-2. All four runs in the inning were unearned.
The Dragons scored one run in the bottom of the seventh. Steven Leyton’s double moved a runner to third and Noelvi Marte delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3. In the eighth, the Dragons added another run when Hendrick was hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on an error, and scored on Michel Triana’s ground out to make it 5-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ashton Creal opened the inning with a base hit to left field, and then stole second to put the tying run in scoring position with no one out. But Justice Thompson grounded out to third, Marte flied to left, and Tyler Callihan also flied to left to end the game.
The Dragons were limited to just five hits. Leyton had two doubles. Hendrick was 1 for 3 with a home run, two runs scored, and two driven in.
Up Next: The Dragons and Lugnuts meet again in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Steve Hajjar (0-1, 12.00) will start for Dayton.
For ticket information, go daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.
On the Air: All Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE. Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App, or on a computer at wone.com. Games are also available on HD Radio on 104.7 WTUI HD 2.