Arias' RBI Double Lifts Dragons to 4-3 Win

Dragons 4, Lansing 3

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Lansing, Mich.-Junior Arias' run-scoring double in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie as the Dayton Dragons defeated the Lansing Lugnuts 4-3 on Tuesday afternoon.  The Dragons win evened the three-game series at one win apiece and improved the Dragons to 6-12 on the year.  Lansing fell to 5-10.

The Dragons trailed 3-2 after five innings before Dayton's Robert Ramirez drilled a solo home run to center field to tie the game in the seventh. The homer was Ramirez's first of the season.  Then in the eighth, Seth Mejias-Brean walked with one out and went to second on a wild pitch.  One batter later, Arias lined a double to the left field corner to bring in Mejias-Brean with the tie-breaking run.

Lansing threatened in the bottom of the eighth, putting runners at first and second with two outs.  Dragons reliever Sean Lucas entered the game and recorded the final out in the eighth before pitching a perfect ninth for his second save.

Jesus Adames (1-0) earned the victory in relief.  He replaced starting pitcher Pedro Diaz to start the sixth and worked two and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing three hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

The Dragons built a 2-0 lead early in the game, scoring one run in the first inning and another in the fourth.  In the first, Zach Vincej tripled off the left-center field fence and scored on Jeff Gelalich's ground out.  In the fourth, Tanner Rahier doubled off the fence in left to bring in Gelalich from third.  Lansing battled back with one run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead.

Dayton had six hits by six different players.  Four of the six went for extra bases including the Ramirez home run, the triple by Vincej, and doubles by Rahier and Brent Peterson.

Dragons starting pitcher Pedro Diaz pitched well in his first Midwest League start.  He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts over five innings. 

The Dragons and Lugnuts battle in the rubber match of the three-game series on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.  Drew Cisco (1-0, 1.89) will start for the Dragons against Lansing's Taylor Cole (1-1, 4.61).  The Dragons begin a six-game home stand at Fifth Third Field vs. Peoria on Thursday, April 25 in a game that will be televised on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 (Time Warner Cable channels 23 and 372).  All Dragons games can be heard on WONE Radio (980 AM) and via the internet at daytondragons.com and wone.com.