Dayton, Ohio (WDTN) —Lansing’s Carl Wise delivered a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning as the Lugnuts erased a 3-2 deficit and defeated the Dayton Dragons 4-3 on Tuesday night. A crowd of 8,533 was in attendance at Fifth Third Field.
The Dragons trailed 2-0 when they put together a big inning in the fifth, scoring three runs to take the lead. Once the Dragons gained the lead, Lansing was held without a hit until the ninth.
The Lugnuts game-winning rally began when Dragons reliever Jeremy Kivel walked the lead-off batter in the top of the ninth, Connor Panas. Lane Thomas followed with a single to left to move Panas to second. Sandy Lugo replaced Kivel and quickly got Wise to an 0-2 count, but Wise hit the next pitch to the left field corner, driving in both Panas and Thomas to give Lansing the lead.
Lugnuts reliever Dusty Isaacs, a native of Lebanon, Ohio, retired the Dragons in order in the bottom of the ninth for the save.
The Dragons had taken the lead in the fifth when James Vasquez opened the inning with a base hit to center field, giving the Dragons their first base runner against Lansing starting pitcher Sean Reid-Foley (3-3). Shane Mardirosian then was called out on an attempted third strike check swing, prompting an intense argument from Mardirosian and Dragons manager Dick Schofield. Both were quickly ejected by the plate umpire, Vince Jackson.
After the ejections, Brantley Bell reached on an infield single to move Vasquez to second, and Reydel Medina followed with a triple to the right field corner to drive in both runners and tie the game at 2-2. After Luis Gonzalez struck out, Medina scored on a wild pitch, getting to home plate with an excellent slide around the catcher’s tag, to give the Dragons a 3-2 lead.
Dragons starting pitcher Tanner Rainey worked five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Jesus Reyes replaced Rainey and was outstanding, tossing three innings of scoreless relief without giving up a hit. Kivel (1-2) faced the first two batters in the ninth and was charged two runs to take the loss.
The Dragons finished with just three hits, all in the fifth inning. In fact, they did not have a base runner in any of the other eight innings of the game, and tied a club record when they did not strand a runner on the night. Bell’s infield single extended his hitting streak to seven straight games.
The Dragons (13-39) host Lansing (26-24) in the second game of the three-game series on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Austin Orewiler (1-2, 2.42) will start for Dayton against Lansing’s Tayler Saucedo (1-5, 5.08).
All Dragons games are broadcast on radio on Fox Sports 980 WONE and on the internet at wone.com. Games are also available on the Dayton Dragons mobile app.