Nuts Fall in 2nd Half Opener, 7-2

Dayton, Ohio - Gabriel Moreno swatted his second triple of the season, scoring Reggie Pruitt in the 5^th inning, but that was the last run the Lansing Lugnuts (0-1, 32-38) would score in the second half opener. The Dayton Dragons (1-0, 29-42) pounded 11 hits and scored in three straight innings for a 7-2 win at Fifth Third Field in Dayton on Thursday night.
The Dragons opened up the scoring off of Lansing's starter Sean Wymer (Loss, 3-6) in the second on a SAC fly from Brian Rey to make it 1-0. The right-hander allowed nine hits, five earned runs, with three strikeouts.

The Lugnuts would get on the board in the fourth, thanks to a bases loaded walk to Jesus Severino , allowed by Dragons starter Lyon Richardson (ND). Griffin Conine came into score, and the game was tied 1-1.

The Dragons then scored two in the fourth, one in the fifth and three in the sixth inning to put the game away against Wymer, Marcus Reyes and Mike Pascoe . In that final run-scoring inning for the Dragons, they sent nine batters to the plate, with three hits and three walks.   
 
After Pascoe finished up the lengthy sixth inning, relieving Wymer and Reyes, he would get through the seventh after two straight walks, thanks to a double-play ball and a strikeout.

Once the Lugnuts knocked Richardson out of the game, they weren't able to score any runs against relievers Alexis Diaz (Win, 6-3) and Matt Pidich .

In the eighth inning, Will McAffer came in and pitched a scoreless eighth inning with a couple strikeouts. The Lugnuts finished the game with six hits, Hagen Danner reached all four times with a couple of walks.

The Lugnuts and Dragons will get together again tomorrow night in game two of the second half. First pitch is at 7 p.m. with Lugnuts RHP Cobi Johnson expected to start against RHP James Marinan.

The next Lugnuts homestand is a seven-gamer from June 25-July 1 against Lake County and Bowling Green, including Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. Jersey Giveaway Night on June 28th and Backyard Baseball Night 2 with a Pete Wheeler Bobblehead Giveaway on June 29th! To live the Lug Life and purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com, call (517) 485-4500 or come to the Cooley Law School Stadium box office at 505 E. Michigan Ave. in downtown Lansing.
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