Dragons Battle Back but Fall to Loons on Wednesday

Great Lakes 8, Dragons 5

Click here for the box score

Great Lakes (R-H-E): 8-10-0; Dayton (R-H-E): 5-9-0

Win: Michael Martinez (1-1); Loss: Bryce Hubbart (1-3); Save: Lucas Wepf (5)

HR: Dayton: Ruben Ibarra (1^st, 0 on base in ninth inning). HR: Great Lakes: None

Dayton, Ohio—The Great Lakes Loons scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to extend a one-run lead and then held on to defeat the Dayton Dragons 8-5 on Wednesday night. Each team has won one game so far in what is scheduled to be a six-game series.

A crowd of 7,439 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

The Dragons battled back from a 5-0 deficit and trailed 5-4 in the seventh inning before the Loons pulled away in the ninth. The Dragons got a two-run double by Hector Rodriguez to highlight a three-run inning seventh inning. Rodriguez had a big night with a triple, double, and single.

Ruben Ibarra reached base four times for the Dragons, going 2 for 2 with two walks and his first home run of the year.

Game Recap:

The Loons scored two runs in the second, two more in the third, and one in the top of the sixth to build a 5-0 lead.

Trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Dragons scored against Loons reliever Franklin De La Paz. Cam Collier snapped an 0 for 24 slump with a single to start the inning and went to second on a hit by Cade Hunter. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and Collier scored on Carlos Jorge’s sacrifice fly to deep center field to make it 5-1.

In the Dayton half of the seventh, Ibarra walked and Jay Allen II was hit by a pitch. Rodriguez followed with a triple to deep right-center to drive in both runners and make it 5-3, and Yan Contreras delivered an RBI single to bring in Rodriguez and make it 5-4.

But Great Lakes scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning against Dragons reliever Luis Mey to push their lead to 8-4. Ibarra opened the bottom of the ninth with a home run to right, and Rodriguez added a one-out double, but the Dragons could never get the tying run to the plate in the inning.

First home run of the year for Ruben Ibarra!! ⚾🔥🔥#feelthefire pic.twitter.com/oGhgwm7xSx

— Dayton Dragons (@DragonsBaseball) May 16, 2024

Dragons starting pitcher Bryce Hubbart (1-3) was charged with the loss. He worked two and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Easton Sikorski followed Hubbart and had his best outing of the year. Sikorski tossed two and one-third innings of shutout baseball without allowing a hit. He walked one and struck out two. Andrew Moore also had an effective night on the mound for the Dragons, working an inning and one-third and notching three strikeouts without surrendering a hit or run.

Up Next: The Dragons (15-20) host Great Lakes (21-14) at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District on Thursday night at 7:05 pm in the third game of the series. Johnathan Harmon (0-3, 7.54) will start for Dayton against Jacob Meador (0-1, 4.74). For ticket information, go to 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.