Dragons Hit 4 Home Runs, Open 2nd Half with 6-3 Win

Dragons 6, Lake County 3

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 6-9-0; Lake County (R-H-E): 3-4-0

Win: Christian Roa (2-3); Loss: Rodney Boone (0-2); Save: Donovan Benoit (8)

HR: Dayton: Garrett Wolforth (7th, 1 on base in second inning); Nick Quintana (6th, 0 on base in third inning); Ashton Creal (1st, 0 on base in fifth inning); J.V. Martinez (2nd, 1 on base in sixth inning). HR: Lake County: Connor Kokx (2nd, 2 on base in fourth inning).

Dayton, Ohio—J.V. Martinez went 3 for 3 with a home run, double, and two runs batted in as the Dayton Dragons defeated the Lake County Captains 6-3 on Friday night. The game opened the second half season in the Midwest League’s split-season format.

A crowd of 8,639 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District, the third largest crowd of the season to date.

*Game Recap: *The Dragons hit four home runs on the way to defeating the Captains, collecting six extra base hits, while limiting Lake County to just four hits.

The Dragons got the scoring started in the second inning when J.V. Martinez doubled high off the wall in left field and Garrett Wolforth followed with a two-run home run to left-center to make it 2-0. The home run, Wolforth’s seventh of the season, snapped a Dragons scoreless string that had lasted 17 innings.

In the third, Dayton’s Nick Quintana blasted a 432-foot home run just to the left of straightaway center field to make it 3-0. The homer was Quintana’s sixth of the year.

Lake County put three quick runs on the board in the fourth inning to tie the game when Connor Kokx belted a two-out, three-run home run to left field to even the score at 3-3.

But the Dragons jumped back ahead in the fifth when Ashton Creal connected on a solo home run, his first homer of the year. Creal, who started the year with the Dragons before being sent to Daytona, was playing his first game back with club, replacing injured outfielder Rece Hinds on the roster.

In the sixth, the Dragons added to their lead when J.V. Martinez ripped a long home run to left field with a man on base to make it 6-3. The homer was the second of the year for Martinez.

The Dayton bullpen was outstanding. Myles Gayman replaced starter Christian Roa to start the sixth inning and fired three near-perfect frames, retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced, allowing only a two-out walk in his final inning. Donovan Benoit pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the save, notching his eighth save of the season.

Dragons starting pitcher Christian Roa (2-3) went five innings, allowing four hits and three runs with no walks and five strikeouts to earn the win.

The Dragons collected nine hits. Martinez led the way, going 3 for 3 with a homer, double, single, and walk. Quintana had two hits including a home run and double.

Up Next: The Dragons host Lake County again on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. James Proctor (4-3, 4.18) will start for Dayton. On Sunday at 1:05 p.m., Reds pitcher Justin Dunn will start for the Dragons on an MLB rehab assignment. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: Saturday and Sunday’s games will be televised in the Miami Valley on Dayton’s CW (channel 26; Spectrum Cable channels 13 and 1013). 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.

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