Loons Launch Three Home Runs, Win First Game of 2023

DAYTON, Ohio. - Three different Great Lakes Loons (1-3) went yard en route to a 9-7 win over the Dayton Dragons (1-3) on a 60-degree and sunny evening at Day Air Ballpark.

Five of the first seven hitters in the game struck out to begin the day. In the top of the second with two outs, Yeiner Fernandez, MLB Pipeline’s 15th-ranked Dodgers prospect delivered his and the Loons' first home run of the season, a 410-foot solo homer to left-field.

Taylor Young, in the next frame, walked to lead off and was plated by a Chris Alleyne double down the right-field line. Alleyne was thrown out trying to reach third.

After two 1-2-3 innings with four strikeouts, Yon Castro struggled with command in the bottom of the third. Six Dragons reached base consecutively to begin the inning including three walks. A Michael Trautwein double, tied the game at two.

Braydon Fisher entered, his third appearance in Great Lakes’ fourth game. The right-hander struck out the next two batters to strand the bases loaded and would strike out the side in the fourth inning. Fisher has K’ed eight of the nine he has faced this season.

The fifth inning saw seven of the 16 runs in the game. The Loons produced five runs, starring two home runs. Austin Gauthier lifted a ball to deep left field putting Great Lakes ahead. Damon Keith followed that up rocking a ball to deep right field, a three-run home run that scored Taylor Young who doubled, and Alex Freeland who walked to reach base. The inning was bookended by an RBI double off the bat of Griffin Lockwood-Powell.

Dayton would respond by adding two runs in threw bottom of the fifth. Michael Hobbs walked five and threw nine strikes in 32 total pitches. Great Lakes supplied two insurance runs, a sixth-inning Jake Vogel RBI single and Chris Alleyne RBI triple in the eighth, both times scoring Austin Gauthier.

After 2.1 innings scoreless from Christian Suarez, the Loons turned to Benony Robles for the eighth. The Dragons down 9-4 pulled within two. A double and three straight walks led to the first run and an end to Robles outing.

Jake Pilarksi, entered and worked around a walk and RBI single from Austin Hendrick to keep Great Lakes ahead. The right-hander would work the ninth, and notch his first affiliated baseball save, striking out the side in the ninth.

The Loons and Dragons play game two of the six-game series tomorrow Wednesday, April 13th, with a 7:05 first pitch from Dow Diamond.

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.