Dragons Win Third Straight, Top Kernels 7-4 in Series Opener Tuesday

Dragons 7, Cedar Rapids 4

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 7-8-0; Cedar Rapids (R-H-E): 4-7-3

Win: Ryan Cardona (1-0); Loss: Darren Bowen (0-1); Save: Bryce Hubbart (1)

HR: Dayton: Jay Allen II (2nd, 0 on base in first inning; 101 mph exit velocity; 355’); Carlos Jorge (1^st 0 on base in sixth inning; 100 mph exit velocity; 359’). Cedar Rapids: Rubel Cespedes (1^st, 1 on base in fifth inning); Jay Harry (1^st, 0 on base in ninth inning).

Cedar Rapids, Iowa—Jay Allen II and Carlos Jorge blasted home runs while Cam Collier and Hector Rodriguez each had two hits as the Dayton Dragons defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-4 on Tuesday night. The game was the start to a six-game series and the first road contest of the year for the Dragons.

The win was the third straight for the Dragons. They have scored at least six runs in all three victories and are currently 3-1, tied with the Lake County Captains for first place in the East Division of the Midwest League.

Allen II led off the ballgame with a home run to left field, his second homer in the last two games. After Cedar Rapids scored in the bottom of the first, the Dragons regained the lead with a four-run third inning. Collier had a run-scoring single and Rodriguez delivered a two-run triple in the inning.

Meanwhile, Dragons starting pitcher Ryan Cardona retired 11 straight batters before allowing a pair of runs in the fifth as Cedar Rapids made it 5-3. Jorge blasted a home run in the sixth for Dayton to make it 6-3, and the Dragons added an unearned run in the eighth to go ahead 7-3. Cedar Rapids scored one run in the ninth and got the tying run to the plate before falling short. Dragons reliever Bryce Hubbart worked the final four innings to earn the save, giving up one run on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Cardona earned the win by pitching the first five innings and surrendering just three hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He allowed three runs.

Notes: Jay Allen II left the game in the third inning after scoring from third on Rodriguez’s triple. He limped off the field with an apparent knee injury…Allen’s lead-off home run marked the first time a Dragons player had opened a game with a home run since Jack Rogers did it on July 2, 2023 at West Michigan…The Dragons have hit six home runs in their last three games. Entering the day, no other Midwest League team had more than two homers over their first three games of the year.

Up Next: The Dragons (3-1) battle the Kernels in the second game of the six-game series in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday night at 7:35 pm (EDT). Johnathan Harmon will start for the Dragons against Cedar Rapids’ Zebby Matthews. The series continues through Sunday.

The Dragons next home game at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District is Tuesday, April 16 against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. 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.