MWL Dayton Dragons

Dragons Earn Wild 11-10 Win Over Loons on Thursday

May 16, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio - Dayton reliever Vin Timpanelli posted back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead and close out an 11-10 victory as the Dragons defeated the Great Lakes Loons in a slugfest on Thursday night. The Dragons have won two of three in the series against the first place Loons.

A crowd of 8,247 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

The Dragons took advantage of two big innings including their biggest frame of the year, a seven-run sixth inning, on the way to the win.

Game Recap :

The game featured plenty of early scoring. Great Lakes scored three runs in the top of the first inning against Dayton starting pitcher Johnathan Harmon to take an early lead. Harmon threw 33 pitches in the inning and was likely within a few pitches of being removed from the game due to high pitch count.

In the second, the Dragons responded with four runs, hitting three home runs in the inning, one short of the club record. Carlos Jorge got the Dragons started with a solo homer with one out, his fourth of the year. After a two-out single by Victor Acosta, Logan Tanner blasted a game-tying two-run home run, his second homer of the year, to make it 3-3. The next batter, Jay Allen II, drilled a home run to left-center, his seventh of the year, to make it 4-3.

View the home run by Jorge here: https://twitter.com/DragonsBaseball/status/1791258686339366922

View the home run by Tanner here: https://twitter.com/DragonsBaseball/status/1791260243470463359

View the home run by Allen II here: https://twitter.com/DragonsBaseball/status/1791263344667615628

"I was hunting a fastball, the scouting report said he throws a lot of fastballs," said Tanner, whose home run tied the game. "I was looking heater in. I saw the slider early in the at bat. I happened to get a heater there with two strikes and get the head out so it was a good feeling."

Meanwhile, after the shaky first inning, Harmon settled in and retired the next 11 batters before Great Lakes took advantage of two Dayton errors in the fifth inning to score two unearned runs and take a 5-4 lead. The Loons added another run in the top of the sixth to make it 6-4.

The Dragons exploded for a seven-run bottom of the sixth, their biggest inning since July of 2023. Cam Collier snapped a 1 for 30 slump to deliver a game-tying RBI single, and Sal Stewart scored on a wild pitch to give the Dragons the lead. Jorge added a two-run single to make it 9-6, and Ethan O'Donnell followed with a run-scoring triple. Victor Acosta closed out the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to bring in O'Donnell and make it 11-6.

Great Lakes battled back. They scored three runs in the seventh and trailed the Dragons 11-9 going to the ninth. Dragons reliever Pedro Alfonseca, who had pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowed a lead-off walk and an infield single before surrendering a one-out RBI double that made it 11-10 with runners now at second and third. Timpanelli replaced Alfonseca. After an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out, Timpanelli notched back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and earn his first save.

The Dragons finished with 11 hits. Sal Stewart reached base five times with one hit, three walks, and a hit batsman. Jorge had two hits including a home run and drove in three. Allen had a home run and double. Tanner had a two-run home run, and Acosta delivered two hits with one RBI.

The Dragons have won four of their last six games, all against the two teams that are currently tied for first place in the East Division, Lake County and Great Lakes. The last two nights have featured the two longest nine-inning games of the season, but Tanner says the players are able to meet the challenge.

"It's your job," said Tanner. "You come to the park every day prepared to play nine innings. We had a full nine innings tonight with a long ball game, a lot of runs scored. I'm just glad we came out on top. That's a great team over there. They're first in the league right now. We take two. Hopefully we take two more and take the series."

Notes : When the Dragons hit three home runs in the second inning, it marked the first time they had hit three in one inning since July 28, 2022 when Mat Nelson, Quin Cotton, and Brian Rey all hit homers in the third inning at West Michigan...The back-to-back homers by Tanner and Allen were the first from consecutive Dragons batters since Ruben Ibarra and Austin Hendrick hit home runs at Great Lakes on August 29, 2023.

Up Next : The Dragons (15-20) host Great Lakes (21-14) at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District on Friday night at 7:05 pm in the fourth game of the series. Javi Rivera (0-2, 10.00) will start for Dayton against Jackson Ferris (1-2, 5.46). For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air : All Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE. Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App, or on a computer at wone.com. Games are also available on HD Radio on 104.7 WTUI HD 2.

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