QUAD CITIES 8, DRAGONS 4
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Quad Cities (R-H-E): 8-8-0; Dayton (R-H-E): 4-8-0
Win: Blake Wolters (2-7); Loss: Deivi Villafana (0-1); Save: None
HR: Dayton: Mason Neville (6th, 2 on base in sixth inning). HR: Quad Cities: Derlin Figueroa (20th, 1 on base in third inning).
Davenport, Iowa—The Quad Cities River Bandits built an early 4-0 lead on the way to an 8-4 victory over the Dayton Dragons on Thursday night. Quad Cities stole eight bases in the game and went 6 for 10 with runners in scoring position as they won for the second time in the first three games of the six-game series.
Recap: Quad Cities scored two runs in the first inning and two more in the third against Dayton starting pitcher Deivi Villafana to build a 4-0 lead.
The Dragons battled back in the fifth, getting a lead-off double from Marcus Smith, a single from Diego Omana, and a three-run home run from Mason Neville to right field to pull Dayton to within a run at 4-3. The homer was Neville’s sixth in 24 games with the Dragons and his 15th in the Reds farm system this season.
But Quad Cities responded with three runs in the sixth inning against new Dragons reliever Bryce Archie, in his first game since being promoted from the Single-A Daytona Tortugas, to build their lead to 7-3.
The Dragons scored in the top of the seventh when Neville doubled and scored on Peyton Stovall’s single to make it 7-4, but they could not push across another run. Trailing 8-4 in the eighth, the Dragons loaded the bases with one out, but Neville struck out, and Stovall grounded out hard to first base on a diving stop by Trevor Werner to end the threat.
The Dragons finished the night with eight hits. Neville was 2 for 4 with a homer, double, and three runs batted in. Ryan McCrystal also had two hits.
Villafana (0-1), in just his second start with the Dragons since joining the team from Daytona, worked four innings, allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts to take the loss. Archie went two and two-thirds innings, surrendering four hits and four runs with four walks and three strikeouts in his High-A debut.
Up Next: The Dragons (15-16, 54-43) meet the River Bandits (17-15, 47-48) in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday night at 7:30 pm in Davenport, Iowa. Kyle McCoy (4-3, 4.98) will start for the Dragons.
The next Dragons home game at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District is Tuesday, August 4 against the Great Lakes Loons at 7:05 pm. 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.