Hawks Score in 9th, Top Dragons 1-0

South Bend 1, Dragons 0

Click here for the box score

South Bend, Ind.-South Bend's Joe Munoz delivered a single to center field to bring in Andrew Velazquez from third base with the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, breaking a 0-0 tie as the Silver Hawks defeated the Dayton Dragons 1-0 on Wednesday night. The win was the eighth in a row for South Bend as they defeated the Dragons for the third straight game in the series.   

Dragons starting pitcher Ismael Guillon delivered the team's finest pitching performance of the season but left the game with the score knotted at 0-0. Guillon worked seven innings, allowing two hits and no runs with no walks and 11 strikeouts. He allowed only two batters to reach base over his outing as he became the first Dayton pitcher this season to go seven innings. His 11 strikeouts is also a team high for the Dragons. Guillon lowered his earned run average for the year to 1.16.

With his 11 strikeouts, Guillon became the Dragons career leader in that category. Daniel Corcino posted 185 strikeouts as a Dragons pitcher in 2010-'11. Guillon now has 186 with the team.

South Bend's game-winning rally began when Velazquez doubled down the right field line against Dragons reliever Layne Somsen (1-1). Jamie Westbrook struck out and Stryker Trahan grounded out to first base, moving Velazquez to third. The Dragons intentionally walked Daniel Palka, who took second base on defensive indifference. Munoz then hit a 3-1 pitch through the middle to bring in Velazquez with the game's only run.

The Dragons best chances to score came in the first and sixth innings. In the first, Sammy Diaz singled to left field with one out and went to second on an error. Phillip Ervin grounded a single to right field and Diaz tried to score, but was easily thrown out by Trahan from right field. 

In the sixth, Carlton Daal doubled to right field to start the inning and Diaz walked. Ervin grounded to shortstop as Diaz was forced at second for the first out and Daal advanced to third. With Sebastian Elizalde at the plate, Ervin broke toward second on a pitch in the dirt, but was trapped in a rundown after South Bend catcher Michael Perez handled the pitch cleanly. As Ervin was caught between first and second, Daal broke for the plate, but was tagged out for the second out. Elizalde walked, but Sean Buckley lined out to shortstop to end the threat.

Somsen suffered the loss as he allowed his first run of the season. He worked one and two-thirds innings, allowing two hits and the game's only run with two walks and two strikeouts.

Each team finished with just four hits. Daal's double was the only Dayton extra base hit.

The Dragons meet the Silver Hawks again on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. (EDT) in South Bend in the series finale. Amir Garrett (0-2, 7.36) will start for Dayton against South Bend's Bradin Shipley (1-0, 0.00). The Dragons open a three-game series in Midland, Michigan against the Great Lakes Loons on Friday at 6:05 p.m. The next home game is Monday, April 28 vs. the Lansing Lugnuts at 7:00 p.m. at Fifth Third Field. All Dragons games can be heard on WONE Radio (980 AM) and via the internet at wone.com and through the Dragons Mobile App. 

Notes: The Dragons have lost three straight games for the first time this season and have lost their first series of the season…The Dragons fell to one and one-half games behind first place Great Lakes. South Bend jumped into second place, a half game ahead of the Dragons.