Captains Break 5-5 Tie with 5 Runs in 8th, Top Dragons 10-5

Lake County 10, Dragons 5

Click here for the box score

Lake County (R-H-E): 10-14-0; Dayton (R-H-E): 5-5-1

Win: Josh Harlowe (4-2); Loss: Easton Sikorski (2-4); Save: None

HR: Dayton: Leo Balcazar (8^th, 1 on base in first inning). HR: Lake County: Maick Collado (3^rd, 0 on base in fifth inning); Jacob Cozart (2^nd, 0 on base in sixth inning); Ralphy Velazquez (11^th, 2 on base in eighth inning).

Dayton, Ohio—The Lake County Captains broke a 5-5 tie with five runs in the eighth inning on the way to a 10-5 victory over the Dayton Dragons on Tuesday night. The game was the first of six straight meetings between the two clubs including three straight in Dayton.

A crowd of 8,006 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

Game Summary:

Dragons starting pitcher Jose Montero pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the first inning before the Dragons scored two runs in the bottom of the first to jump out to a 2-0 lead. After Dayton’s Anthony Stephan was hit by a pitch with one out, Leo Balcazar blasted a towering home run to left field, his eighth homer of the year, to put the Dragons in front.

Lake County scored three runs in the fifth inning to take the lead as they knocked Dayton starting pitcher Jose Montero out of the game. Maick Collado’s solo home run highlighted the inning. Montero departed after four and one-third innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with two walks and four strikeouts.

The Captains added two more runs against Dayton reliever Dylan Simmons in the sixth inning to extend their lead to 5-2. Jacob Cozart belted a solo homer in the inning.

The Dragons took advantage of four walks in the bottom of the seventh to score three runs and tie the game. Two of the walks came with the bases loaded. Carlos Sanchez drew a one-out walk to start the rally. After John Michael Faile singled to left, Johnny Ascanio walked to load the bases. Connor Burns fouled off several pitches to extend a 12-pitch at-bat into a walk that forced in a run and made it 5-3. Victor Acosta’s infield single to the right of the shortstop brought in Faile, and Anthony Stephan walked to force in Ascanio and tie the game at 5-5.

But Lake County responded immediately with a five-run top of the eighth against Dragons reliever Easton Sikorski (2-4) as they sent nine batters to the plate, keyed by a two-out, three-run home run by Ralphy Velazquez. The big inning gave the Captains a 10-5 lead.

The Dragons did not have a hit over the final two innings. Dayton finished the night with five hits by five different players. Balcazar’s home run, his eighth of the year, and a triple by Stephan in the third inning were the only extra base hits.

Sikorski, who had allowed just five earned runs all season entering the game, saw his earned run average jump from 1.16 to 1.99 as he worked two innings and surrendered five runs (four earned) on four hits with one walk and no strikeouts.

Up Next: The Dragons (4-6, 25-50) host Lake County (4-6, 39-37) at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District in the second game of the series on Wednesday at 7:05 pm. Nestor Lorant (0-5, 6.06) will start for Dayton. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets.

The first three games of the current six-game series with Lake County are being played in Dayton before the teams travel to Eastlake, Ohio for the final three games beginning Friday, July 4. The Thursday game in Dayton will start at 5:35 pm (in accordance with Minor League Baseball travel regulations).

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.