Lugs score late, complete Dayton domination

DAYTON, OH - Ryan Noda and Andres Sotillo supplied RBI base hits in the ninth inning, and the Lansing Lugnuts (35-29, 78-56) beat the Dayton Dragons (25-38, 56-75), 3-1, on Monday night at Fifth Third Field to wrap up a dominating season series.

The Nuts took three of four games in the road series against the Dragons, finishing with 18 wins in their 22 meetings with Dayton.

In addition, the Lugnuts won their 39th road game of the year, tying the single season franchise record established in 2012. The Nuts still have three road games remaining in their regular season schedule.

With the score tied at 1-1, Chavez Young opened the ninth inning against Dayton reliever Aneurys Zabala (Loss, 2-5) with a walk, and then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Hendrik Clementina. Noda promptly ripped a double down the right field line for a 2-1 Lugnuts lead, notching his 75th RBI of the season. Brandon Grudzielanek moved Noda to third with a sharp single to right-center, and Sotillo followed with a line-drive single up the middle to bring in Noda.

The runs were the first scored in the game since the very first inning, when each team's leadoff hitter - the Lugnuts' Samad Taylor and the Dragons' Jose Garcia - doubled and scored, the Nuts on a fielding error by center fielder Reshard Munroe, and the Dragons on a sacrifice fly by Clementina.

The game tightened into a pitchers' duel thereafter, with Dayton southpaw Packy Naughton lasting five innings and Lansing right-hander Kyle Weatherly tossing six, matching one another in zeroes.

Brayden Bouchey (Win, 2-0) pitched two hitless, scoreless innings in relief, striking out two.

Dany Jimenez (Save, 13) handled the ninth inning scorelessly, pitching around a pair of singles.

All nine members of the Lugnuts starting lineup hit safely in the win, led by two hits from Sotillo.

After a league-wide off day, the Nuts return home for an Eat-A-Palooza presented by Gordon Food Service on Wednesday, August 29th, against the Great Lakes Loons, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. To purchase tickets and live the Lug Life at Cooley Law School Stadium, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
 
# # #