Dragons Top Captains 3-1 in 2nd Half Opener

Dragons 3, Lake County 1

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Dayton (R-H-E): 3-4-1; Lake County (R-H-E): 1-5-1

Win: Braxton Roxby (1-2); Loss: Trenton Denholm (2-2); Save: Vin Timpanelli (5)

HR: Dayton: None HR: Lake County: None

Dayton, Ohio—Four Dayton pitchers combined to allow just five hits and the Dragons scored three runs in the seventh inning to erase a 1-0 deficit as they defeated the Lake County Captains 3-1 on Friday night. The game was the opener to the second half season in the Midwest League’s split-season format.

A crowd of 7,798 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

Lake County scored their only run of the game in the top of the first inning and held the Dragons hitless through the first six frames. In the bottom of the seventh, Austin Hendrick worked a lead-off walk on a 3-2 pitch. The next batter, Austin Callahan, lifted a long drive to straightaway center field that Lake County outfielder Jake Fox lost in the twilight sky. The ball landed just short of the fence, about 400 feet from home plate, as Hendrick raced around to score from first to tie the game. Callahan was credited with a double and he went to third on the play on an errant relay throw. Justice Thompson followed with a triple to right-center to drive in Callahan and give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. One batter later, Trey Faltine singled hard through the right side of the infield to make it 3-1.

Braxton Roxby (1-2) pitched a perfect eighth inning and Vin Timpanelli retired all three batters in the ninth for his fifth save. Timpanelli threw just nine pitches in the inning, all strikes, to get a ground out and two strikeouts.

Dragons starting pitcher Chris McElvain made his Midwest League debut and pitched well. He worked four innings, allowing four hits and one run with no walks and four strikeouts. Myles Gayman followed McElvain and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing just one base runner, a one-out triple in the sixth, but he was able to work out of the jam. Roxby pitched two innings for the win before Timpanelli closed out the contest.

Notes: Jack Rogers went 0 for 3 with a walk as his hitting streak ended at 12 games, the longest of the year for a Dayton player.

Up Next: The Dragons (1-0, 34-33) will host Lake County (0-1, 31-35) on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Julian Aguiar (3-1, 2.19), the Midwest League leader in earned run average, is scheduled to start for Dayton. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: Dragons games on Saturday and Sunday will be televised 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.