Lugs thoroughly dominate Dragons, 14-1

DAYTON, OH – Colby Halter swatted a three-run homer in the third inning Danny Bautista, Jr. drilled a three-run double in an eight-run ninth, and Mitch Myers led a stellar pitching performance, leading the Lansing Lugnuts (29-27) to a 14-1 blowout of the Dayton Dragons (28-28) on Saturday night at Day Air Ballpark.

The Lugnuts tied their season high for most runs and bases hits (16) while setting a new season high for largest margin of victory.

All nine batters scored at least one run, led by three runs from Bautista, Jr., who went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an HBP. Only Will Simpson, who drew an RBI walk in the ninth, failed to hit safely, while only Luke Mann failed to drive in a run.

Dayton’s offense fared worse: right-hander Myers allowed a run on three consecutive one-out singles in the first inning, but nothing further. In all, the Pitt product needed only 49 pitches (38 strikes) to toss five innings of five-hit ball, striking out five while walking none.

Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang followed with three scoreless innings, striking out four while allowing three hits and no walks. Hunter Breault fanned two in a perfect ninth.

Conversely, Dragons starter Jose Franco set down the first six batters of the game, but four of the first five Lugnuts hitters in the third inning combined to hit for the cycle. Halter’s third home run of the season put the Nuts on top, and Euribiel Ángeles followed a Henry Bolte triple with an RBI single for a 4-1 lead.

In the fourth inning, Cole Conn and Jonny Butler drilled RBI doubles off T.J. Sikkema for a 6-1 lead.

But it was the ninth inning in which the Lugnuts turned the game into a laugher, victimizing Brody Jessee with RBI singles from Bolte and Ángeles, an RBI walk from Simpson, an RBI single from Brayan Buelvas (on his 22nd birthday), a bases-clearing three-run double from Bautista, Jr., and an RBI single from Butler – Jonny’s second hit of the inning – to put an emphatic final stamp on the score.

The Lugnuts go for a series split with Dayton at 1:05 p.m. Sunday, sending right-hander Luis Morales against Dragons right-hander Ryan Cardona in a rematch of the Tuesday series opener.

Following Sunday’s conclusion, the Nuts return home June 11-16 for a six-game series with Cedar Rapids. For tickets and further information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.

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