Loons Blank Dragons, Take First Series Win
A Great Lakes Loons (4-5) double-digit strikeout pitching performance helped discard the Dayton Dragons (3-6) 5-0 on an overcast Sunday afternoon at Day Air Ballpark. Great Lakes took four of six games from Dayton. The first inning was as unique of a start to a game as you can get.
A Great Lakes Loons (4-5) double-digit strikeout pitching performance helped discard the Dayton Dragons (3-6) 5-0 on an overcast Sunday afternoon at Day Air Ballpark. Great Lakes took four of six games from Dayton.
The first inning was as unique of a start to a game as you can get. With light rain coming down, the Loons first three batters reached via base on balls. Griffin Lockwood-Powell lifted a ball to shallow right field. An infield fly rule was called as the ball landed on the grass. Austin Gauthier dashed home and the runners all advanced a base. Gauthier scored but after Dayton tagged each runner, three outs were made for a triple play.
After the game, the umpires’ ruling was an “abandonment” with the runners leaving the bases. The Loons left due to the assumption the inning ended.
Yon Castro, the Loons starter was not hindered by the conditions that shifted from rain to wind. He finished four innings, with six strikeouts, including the side in the bottom of the fourth.
Great Lakes added a run each in the third, fourth, and fifth inning. The third saw Alex Freeland’s ninth RBI of the season a double that plated, Austin Gauthier, who reached on one of his three hits. In the fourth, Damon Keith struck his second homer of the series. A 436-foot blast to deep left-center made it 3-0. Griffin Lockwood-Powell sliced a two-out, 3-2 pitch down the left field line for the fourth tally in the fifth.
From there the bullpen went to work. Antonio Knowles threw a scoreless fifth, stranding Blake Dunn, who doubled at second. Aldry Acosta commanded a clean sixth. He converted two outs in the seventh but allowed two singles. Michael Hobbs entered and forced a pop up against Tyler Callihan to third on the first pitch he threw to squash the threat. Hobbs struck out two and left one on in the eighth.
Reinaldo De Paula had no trouble in the ninth. The right-hander struck out two to make 13 for Loons pitching and complete a second shutout in three games.
The Loons will be off on Monday and then return to Dow Diamond Tuesday, April 18th to begin a six-game home series against the South Bend Cubs. First pitch will be 6:05 p.m.