DRAGONS 7, LANSING 3
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Dayton (R-H-E): 7-12-1; Lansing (R-H-E): 3-8-0
Win: Reynardo Cruz (4-3); Loss: Zane Taylor (5-5); Save: None
HR: Dayton: Mason Neville, 2 (2nd, 0 on base in third inning; 3rd, 0 on base in fifth inning). HR: Lansing: Nate Nankil (3rd, 1 on base in fifth inning).
Dayton, Ohio—Dayton’s Mason Neville hit two home runs and Ryan McCrystal added three hits including a pair of run-scoring doubles as the Dragons defeated the Lansing Lugnuts 7-3 on Thursday night. The Dragons have won two of the first three games in the six-game series with the Lugnuts.
A crowd of 7,527 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.
Recap: The Dragons opened the scoring with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Johnny Ascanio walked and scored from first base on Ryan McCrystal’s double to the right field fence to make it 1-0. Lansing scored one run in the top of the third to tie the game.
In the bottom of the third, Dayton’s Mason Neville, the NCAA co-leader in home runs in 2025 with Oregon, hit a solo home run to right field to put the Dragons back in front. But Lansing took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth on a two-run home run to left field by Nate Nankil against Dragons starting pitcher Reynardo Cruz.
The Lugnuts lead proved to be short-lived. In the bottom of the fifth, Neville led off the inning by connecting on his second home run of the game to tie the score at 3-3. The homer was Neville’s third in six games with the Dragons, and his 12th of the season in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
After Neville’s home run, Peyton Stovall bounced a ground rule double into the seats near the left field bullpen area, and he advanced to third on Ascanio’s sacrifice bunt. McCrystal followed with his second run-scoring double of the game, a gapper to left-center field, to give the Dragons a 4-3 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Lansing still trailed the Dragons 4-3 when they put runners at first and second with one out. Dragons shortstop Julio Carreras turned in the defensive play of the night when he robbed Nankil of an RBI single with a great diving stop to his left before he flipped the ball to Ascanio at second base for a force out. Dragons reliever Jacob Edwards eventually worked out of trouble as the Dragons held a 4-3 lead.
The Dragons took command of the game in the bottom of the seventh with three insurance runs. Stovall led off the inning with a single to center and went to second on McCrystal’s single to left. Carreras followed with a double to left-center to drive in Stovall and move McCrystal to third. John Michael Faile singled to shallow center to bring in McCrystal and make it 6-3. Marcus Smith then got an effective sacrifice bunt down to score Carreras from third and close out the scoring.
Cruz, the Dayton starter, earned the win to improve to 4-3. He worked five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Edwards worked three and one-third scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, in a 69-pitch outing. Graham Osman recorded the final two outs to end the contest.
The Dragons had 12 hits. McCrystal was 3 for 4 with two doubles. Since returning to the Dragons on Tuesday, he is 9 for 12 (.750) with four doubles. He is now batting .348 for the Dragons in 25 games on the year, including 22 games in April before spending time with Double-A Chattanooga.
Stovall also enjoyed a three-hit night including a double. Carreras had two hits with a double and RBI. Neville’s two home runs give him three in 20 at-bats with the Dragons.
Up Next: The Dragons (6-5, 45-32) host the Lugnuts (2-10, 31-45) in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday at 7:05 pm at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Kyle McCoy (3-1, 2.93) is scheduled to start for the Dragons against Lansing’s Mitch Myers (0-2, 14.29). For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.
On the Air: 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.