Loons Dominate Dragons 15-3

DAYTON, Ohio. – The Great Lakes Loons (2-4) offense surged past the Dayton Dragons (2-4) 15-3 scoring eight runs in the first four innings and five in the ninth, with the Great Lakes pitching flourishing alongside on a 75-degree sunny night with clear skies at Day Air Ballpark.

The Loons didn’t start with a hit, but being hit by a pitch. Austin Gauthier was plunked and then plated by a Dalton Rushing RBI single before the Dragons received an at-bat.

The top of the second began with a Taylor Young walk. Chris Alleyne stepped up in the left-hand batter’s box and sliced a ball over the left fielder’s head, and scored Young.

In the third inning, the Loons pulled away. Damon Keith was struck in the knuckles, which put him on first. He scored from first on Dalton Rushing’s second RBI hit, a single to left-center. Later in the frame, Chris Alleyne plated Yeiner Fernandez with a sacrifice fly. A single by Jake Vogel drove home Yunior Garcia, who reached on a fielder’s choice an error plated Taylor Young. Young got aboard with a base on balls.

Yeiner Fernandez in the fourth added his second of three hits, his second home run of the season and series. The five-foot-nine catcher belted a ball to deep left-center field that made it an 8-0 game.

Great Lakes starter Ronan Kopp making his road debut, was excellent. The six-foot-seven left-hander struck out five over four innings and permitted only three baserunners.

Robbie Peto followed up and worked the next four innings and k’ed five. Peto’s one mishap, the first pitch in the zone that Blake Dunn put into the seats for two of Dayton’s three runs in the bottom of the eighth.

The Loons in the top of the eighth, went around the carousel walking five times and bringing home two insurance runs. Alex Freeland teed off on Braxton Roxby with a grand slam in the ninth, the highlight of a five-run frame. The second five-run inning of the series for Great Lakes.

In total, four Great Lakes batters had multi-hit games. Yeiner Fernandez notched three, Alex Freeland, Dalton Rushing, and Jake Vogel with two.

The Loons and Dragons square off in game four of the six-game series tomorrow Friday, April 14th, with a 7:05 first pitch from Day Air Ballpark.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the 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.