Back and Forth Battle Bends Dayton’s Way

MIDLAND, Mich. – After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, the Great Lakes Loons surged to a 6-2 lead Thursday night at Dow Diamond.

But the Dayton Dragons would not go away.

They scored a pair in the third and one in the fourth before dropping a five-spot in the seventh inning as they defeat the Loons, 11-8.

Dayton (43-29, 4-2 second half) opened the scoring in the first inning, plating two unearned runs on a two-out double from Austin Hendrick.

The Loons (44-28, 4-2) responded immediately. After a pair of walks and a Jose Ramos single to load the bases, Imanol Vargas touched the first pitch he saw deep over the centerfield wall for a grand slam, his ninth longball of the season. Jonny Deluca singled and stole second base before Sauryn Lao left the yard with a two-run blast, his first at the High-A level, to give Great Lakes a 6-2 lead.

But the Dragons, High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, would not be counted out. Daniel Vellojin blasted a two-run homer in the third inning, then Quin Cotton and Elly De La Cruz traded doubles in the fourth inning to bring the visitors within a run. Of the five runs he allowed, three were earned to Kendall Williams in his 3 1-3 innings. The Loons right-handed starter allowed eight hits and two walks while striking out three.

Great Lakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ High-A partner, added a run of insurance in the fifth inning. Eddys Leonard singled, then with two outs, Vargas smacked a single that was misplayed by the centerfielder, allowing Leonard to score from first base. The Loons took a 7-5 lead into the sixth inning. That was the lone run allowed to Jake Gilbert (W, 4-1), and it was unearned. Gilbert tossed three innings, allowed two hits and no walks while striking out five.

The Loons first reliever, lefty Ben Harris, had a terrific second outing in Great Lakes uniform. Harris went 1 2-3 innings of no-hit baseball, walking one and striking out four of the five batters he retired.

After that, though, the Dragons were able to get to the Great Lakes relief corps, specifically with a five-run seventh inning. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Leonard made a throwing error on a grounder to shortstop that allowed all three runs to score. Later in the frame, De La Cruz went yard with a two-run shot, and the Dragons led for the first time since the first inning, 10-7.

The Loons plated one in the bottom of the frame, thanks to a solo shot from Diego Cartaya. The No. 1 prospect in the Dodgers’ organization has now homered in three straight contests to begin the week. It’s Cartaya’s fifth homer of his High-A career, and his 14th of the season overall. At the end of the seventh, the Dragons still led, 10-8.

The final run of the game came on a solo blast in the eighth inning, off the bat of Vellojin. The Dayton catcher homered twice, and has three longballs in the first three games of the series in Midland. The final four runs in the seventh frame, and the Vellojin homer, were charged to Loons righty Cole Percival (L, 3-2).

In the ninth inning, the Loons drew a walk, but ultimately mustered nothing else against Braxton Roxby (SV, 2), who picked up a strikeout, the 17th by Dayton pitching in the game. The Loons’ 17 strikeouts represent a season high for their hitters.

The Dragons take a 2-1 lead in the six-game series, which continues Friday night at Dow Diamond. The Loons have right-hander Ben Casparius (0-0, 5.87 ERA) on the hill, opposing fellow righty Christian Roa (2-3, 5.46 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with ESPN 100.9-FM coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. with the Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland. At Dow Diamond, it’s another Feast Friday, presented by Isabella Bank: enjoy discounts on myriad concession fare. It’s also the first giveaway of the year: first 1,000 kids through the gate get a free backpack, thanks to Saginaw Valley State University. Tickets are still available on Loons.com.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.