WEST MICHIGAN 11, DRAGONS 4
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West Michigan (R-H-E): 11-14-0; Dayton (R-H-E): 4-8-1
Win: Ryan Harvey (2-2); Loss: Ovis Portes (1-4); Save: None
HR: Dayton: Carter Graham (17th, 0 on base in third inning). HR: West Michigan: Clayton Campbell (5th, 2 on base in third inning).
Dayton, Ohio—The West Michigan Whitecaps produced a pair of five-run innings on the way to an 11-4 victory over the Dayton Dragons on Thursday night. The win was West Michigan's first over the first three games of the six-game set in Dayton. The Dragons lost for just the third time in their last 14 games.
A crowd of 7,678 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.
Recap: The Dragons scored single runs in each of the first two innings to take an early 2-0 lead. In the first, Carlos Sanchez singled and eventually scored after three consecutive walks. In the second, Victor Acosta singled with one out, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a single by Sanchez, and scored on Kien Vu’s sacrifice fly.
But West Michigan scored five runs in the top of the third inning against Dragons starting pitcher Ovis Portes to take the lead for good. Clayton Campbell’s three-run home run highlighted the inning.
Dayton’s Carter Graham blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the third for Dayton to pull the Dragons to within two runs at 5-3. The homer was Graham’s 17th of the season and his eighth in his last 14 games.
West Michigan added one run in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 6-3. Dayton again got to within two in the fifth when Graham ripped a double to left-center, stole third, and scored on Jacob Friend’s sharp single to center to make it 6-4.
The Whitecaps broke the game open with five runs in the seventh inning, collecting seven hits in the frame as they sent 10 batters to the plate and took an 11-4 lead to close out the scoring.
The Dragons finished the night with eight hits. Sanchez had three singles to lift his batting average to .312. Graham had a home run and double to continue his sensational season, raising his batting average to .329. Graham leads the Midwest League in runs batted in while ranking second in home runs and third in batting average.
Up Next: The Dragons (3-2, 42-29) will host the Whitecaps (4-2, 28-42) in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday night at 7:05 pm at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Reynardo Cruz (3-2, 5.28) will start for Dayton against West Michigan’s Jake Miller (0-0, 2.25). For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.
On the Air: Dragons games on Friday and Sunday will be televised over-the-air in the Dayton market 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.