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O'Donnell Stars in Dragons Comeback Win as Dayton Earns Third Straight Victory

August 9, 2024

Dragons 7, Lake County 3 Click here for the box score Dayton (R-H-E): 7-10-0; Lake County (R-H-E): 3-5-1 Win: Cody Adcock (1-0); Loss: Alonzo Richardson (0-1); Save: Arij Fransen (3) HR: Dayton: Leo Balcazar (3rd, 0 on base in fourth inning); Ethan O’Donnell (6th, 1 on base in seventh inning).

Dragons 7, Lake County 3

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 7-10-0; Lake County (R-H-E): 3-5-1

Win: Cody Adcock (1-0); Loss: Alonzo Richardson (0-1); Save: Arij Fransen (3)

HR: Dayton: Leo Balcazar (3rd, 0 on base in fourth inning); Ethan O’Donnell (6th, 1 on base in seventh inning). HR: Lake County: None

Dayton, Ohio—Dayton’s Ethan O’Donnell collected a home run, triple, and double while Leo Balcazar also homered as the Dragons defeated the Lake County Captains 7-3 on Friday night. The win was the third straight for the Dragons as they battled back after a rough start to defeat the first half division champions.

A crowd of 8,246 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

With the win, the Dragons held onto first place in the second half playoff race, one-half game ahead of West Michigan, who defeated Beloit on Friday. There are 26 games to play.

Game Summary:

Lake County took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, taking advantage of four walks and a base hit in the inning against Dayton starting pitcher Jose Franco. Dragons pitching coach Brian Garman was ejected by plate umpire Justin Hopkins in the inning during a trip to the mound, as he spoke to Franco. As Garman talked to the Dayton pitcher with his back toward home plate, the plate umpire walked toward the mound, apparently overhead a comment that Garman made to Franco that he found objectionable, and ejected Garman from the game. Later in the inning, Franco was removed from the game by Dayton manager Vince Harrison Jr., and as Franco walked to the dugout, Franco spoke in the direction of the plate umpire and was also ejected. Franco left the game with the Dragons trailing 2-0, two outs, and the bases loaded, and Cody Adcock replaced him. Adcock recorded a strikeout to strand all three runners, keeping the Dragons within striking distance, and setting the tone for the next several innings.

The Dragons scored in the third inning when O’Donnell tripled and Hector Rodriguez delivered a sacrifice fly to right field to make it 2-1. In the fourth, Leo Balcazar led off the inning with a home run to left field to tie the game at 2-2. Jay Allen II followed with a single to left and went to third on Carter Graham’s double. Allen scored on Victor Acosta’s ground out, and Carlos Jorge delivered an RBI double to bring in Graham and make it 4-2.

Lake County scored one run in the top of the seventh to pull to within a run at 4-3, and they were in position to tie the game or take the lead with runners at first and third and no outs. But Dragons reliever Trey Braithwaite got back-to-back strikeouts before being replaced by Arij Fransen, who got a fly out to end the threat.

O’Donnell belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh, his sixth homer of the year, to make it 6-3. And in the eighth, Allen walked, stole second, and eventually scored on Cade Hunter’s infield single to make it 7-3 and close out the scoring.

The Dragons had 10 hits. Along with O’Donnell’s three-hit game, Allen and Hunter each had two hits. Balcazar’s home run extended his hitting streak to nine straight games.

Adcock (1-0) was outstanding on the mound and earned the victory, going three and one-third innings while allowing just one base runner and no runs with three strikeouts. Fransen went the final two and one-third innings, allowing no hits or runs with four strikeouts for his third save.

Notes: O’Donnell was in the on-deck circle when the Dragons offensive night came to an end, needing only a single to complete what would have been only the second “cycle” in franchise history. Donald Lutz hit for the cycle in 2011, the only Dragons player ever to do so.

Up Next: The Dragons (24-16, 58-48) host Lake County again on Saturday night at 7:05 pm in the fifth game of the six-game series at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Mason Pelio (0-3, 8.25) will start for the Dragons against Lake County’s Rorik Maltrud (4-1, 3.66). For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: The Dragons game on Saturday will be televised on Dayton’s CW (Channel 26; Spectrum Cable channels 13 and 1013). 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.