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Allen's Home Run, Strong Pitching Lead to Dragons Fourth Straight Win

August 10, 2024

Dragons 4, Lake County 2 Click here for the box score Dayton (R-H-E): 4-6-1; Lake County (R-H-E): 2-6-1 Win: Easton Sikorski (3-2); Loss: Rorik Maltrud (4-2); Save: Simon Miller (4) HR: Dayton: Jay Allen II (10th, 0 on base in fourth inning). HR: Lake County: None Dayton, Ohio—Jay Allen II

Dragons 4, Lake County 2

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 4-6-1; Lake County (R-H-E): 2-6-1

Win: Easton Sikorski (3-2); Loss: Rorik Maltrud (4-2); Save: Simon Miller (4)

HR: Dayton: Jay Allen II (10th, 0 on base in fourth inning). HR: Lake County: None

Dayton, Ohio—Jay Allen II hit a tie-breaking home run in the fourth inning and four Dayton pitchers combined two scatter six hits as the Dragons defeated the Lake County Captains 4-2 on Saturday night. The win was the fourth straight for the Dragons.

A crowd of 8,479 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

With the win, the Dragons increased their lead in the second half playoff race to one and one-half games over West Michigan, who lost to Beloit on Saturday. There are 25 games to play.

Game Summary:

For the second straight night, Lake County jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. The Captains scored two runs in the top of the third to pull ahead, but the Dragons immediately responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the same inning. Both runs scored when Ethan O’Donnell reached on an infield single that brought in Connor Burns from third, and Cade Hunter raced in from second second when the throw to first ticked off the glove of the first baseman.

Jay Allen II led off the fourth inning with a home run to left field, his 10th homer of the year and first in the second half. Allen’s homer gave the Dragons a 3-2 lead, and they added another run in the seven when O’Donnell singled to center field with two outs to bring in Hunter from second and make it 4-2.

Lake County threatened in the top of the eighth, putting runners at first and third with no one out. But Simon Miller came in from the bullpen and got a big strikeout and an inning-ending ground out to strand the runners. Miller allowed a lead-off walk in the ninth but struck out the next two hitters. After a Collier error allowed the tying run on base, Miller got a ground out to first base to end the game.

O’Donnell had a two-hit game and drove in two runs for the Dragons. Leo Balcazar had one hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games.

Easton Sikorski, the first of three Dragons relievers, tossed two scoreless innings to earn the win and improve to 3-2. Miller’s save was his fourth with the Dragons.

The Dragons climbed to nine games over .500 in the second half and 11 games over for the full-season, both high marks for 2024.

Up Next: The Dragons (25-16, 59-48) host Lake County again on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm in the last game of the six-game series at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Gabriel Aguilera (1-4, 5.93) will start for the Dragons against Lake County’s Carter Spivey (7-1, 3.48). 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.