MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Loons Hold off Dragons, 7-5

Published on July 28, 2016 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio-The Great Lakes Loons collected 16 hits and held off a Dayton comeback bid to defeat the Dragons 7-5 on Thursday night. The two teams have split the first two games of the three-game series.

The Dragons pounded out two more home runs in a losing effort, getting solo shots from Chris Okey and James Vasquez. They have hit four homers in the two games of the series and 21 in the month of July.

Great Lakes scored one run in the second to take an early lead before the Dragons responded with two in the third. Mitch Piatnik singled to right field with one out and scored on Daniel Sweet's double. Sweet scored on a double by Josciel Veras to make it 2-1. The Loons regained the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth to make it 3-2.

The Dragons battled back in their half of the fourth when Okey homered to tie the game at 3-3. It was Okey's sixth home run of the season in 19 games with the Dragons and his fourth in the last 10 games. But Great Lakes scored one run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to build their lead to 6-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Vasquez delivered a long home run to right field that registered at 104 mph off the bat and cleared the outside fence that encloses the ballpark, landing on First Street. It was Vasquez's team-leading 12th homer of the year. Great Lakes scored in the seventh to build the lead back to 7-4.

The Dragons had a chance to come all the way back in the bottom of the seventh. They scored one run when Zack Shields singled with two outs to drive in Veras from second and make it 7-5. After Shields stole second, they had runners at second and third with two outs, needing a base hit to tie the game. But Okey struck out swinging to end the inning and the Dragons could not score over the final two innings.

Dragons starting pitcher Austin Orewiler (2-9) suffered the loss. He worked five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Reliever Manuel Aybar replaced Orewiler and allowed a two-run home run to Great Lakes' Omar Estevez in his only inning of work. Sandy Lugo allowed an unearned run in two innings and Lucas Benenati tossed a scoreless inning.

The Dragons collected 10 hits. Vasquez had a homer and single. Sweet, in his Midwest League debut after being called up from Billings, had a single, double, and stolen base with an RBI.

The Dragons (12-20, 33-69) host the Loons (14-18, 43-59) in the wrap-up to the series on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Jose Lopez (6-8, 3.67) will start for the Dragons against Great Lakes' Mitchell White (0-0, 0.00).

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.

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Midwest League Stories from July 28, 2016


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