Call Reversal Impacts Dragons 3-2 Loss

Dayton, Ohio-A rare umpire reversal of a close call at first base erased a Dayton run on Saturday night and the West Michigan Whitecaps pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Dragons in the second game of the series. A crowd of 8,263 attended the game at Fifth Third Field as the Whitecaps won their second straight.

The Dragons momentarily took a 3-2 lead with two outs in the sixth inning when Shed Long scored from third base after Brantley Bell grounded to shortstop and was safe at first after a high throw pulled West Michigan's Will Maddox off the base. Bell was called safe on the play, allowing the run to score, and replays appeared to show that Bell's foot did reach the base an instant before Maddox touched the bag with his glove. But the two umpires met after the play and decided to reverse the call, ruling that Bell was out for the third out of the inning, wiping out Long's run, and keeping the score tied at 2-2.

West Michigan then scored what turned out to be the final run of the game in the top of the seventh when Jose Azocar walked, stole second, went to third on the catcher's throwing error, and scored on the same play when the throw to third base from center field skipped into the seats to give the Whitecaps a 3-2 lead.

The Dragons got a one-out double from Zack Shields in the bottom of the seventh and a two-out single from Kevin Franklin in the ninth but could not score.

West Michigan scored two runs in the second and held a 2-0 lead until the Dragons tied it in the sixth. Mitch Piatnik opened the Dayton sixth with an infield single and went to third on Nick Senzel's double. Shed Long singled in Piatnik to make it 2-1, and Chris Okey's ground out brought in Senzel. But with Long at third and one out, Reydel Medina struck out, and Bell's ground ball resulted in the call reversal to end the inning.

Dragons starting pitcher Jacob Constante enjoyed his second straight good start and was not involved in the decision. He worked six innings and allowed two runs on three hits two walks and four strikeouts. He allowed only two base runners outside of the second inning when West Michigan scored both runs against him. The loss was pinned on reliever Manuel Aybar (1-3), who allowed one unearned run in two innings of work. Dragons pitchers held West Michigan to just three hits.

The Dragons finished with seven hits. Shields was 2 for 4. Senzel had his second double in two games with the Dragons. Okey had his first Midwest League hit, a double. 

The Dragons (3-7, 24-56) will host the Whitecaps (4-6, 43-34) in the last game of the three-game series on Sunday at 2:07 p.m. Ty Boyles (2-4, 4.98) will start for the Dragons against West Michigan's Sandy Baez (3-7, 3.57). The game will be televised on Dayton's CW (channel 26; Time Warner Cable channels 13 and 1013).

All Dragons games are broadcast on radio on Fox Sports 980 WONE and on the internet at wone.com. Games are also available on the Dayton Dragons mobile app.