EASTLAKE, Ohio – In the finale of a two-game series, the Lake County Captains (50-36, 13-7) fell to the Dayton Dragons (48-37, 9-13) by a final score of 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.
Despite taking a late lead, Lake County would not be able to hold on, as the Dragons stole it in the ninth thanks to a two-out, two-run triple from CF Marcus Smith.
The scoring would start in the fourth inning, as a two-run blast from Dayton C John Michael Faile gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.
The Captains responded in the fifth, tying the contest at 2-2 with a bases-loaded walk from C Tyler Howard that was immediately followed by a sacrifice fly from 3B Garrett Howe.
Dayton, however, grabbed the lead right back with a leadoff home run from LF Jacob Friend to begin the sixth inning, his seventh long ball of the season.
Lake County kept fighting in the seventh frame. After two walks to start the inning, Howe tied the game with an RBI double, the Captains’ second and final hit of the day. One batter later, 2B Tommy Hawke gave the Captains their first lead of the game with a sacrifice fly.
It eventually looked like Lake County would secure the victory in the ninth inning. But with the Dragons down to their final strike, Smith’s go-ahead two-run triple gave Dayton the lead for good.
RHP Trent Hodgdon (W, 1-2) earned the win for the Dragons, retiring eight of the 10 batters he faced in three scoreless, hitless innings of relief. The right-hander threw five strikeouts to just one walk.
LHP Luis Flores (L, 2-2) suffered the loss for Lake County, giving up two runs in a hitless inning out of the bullpen. The left-hander threw two strikeouts and walked a pair of Dayton hitters.
After an off day on Monday, July 20, the Captains will begin a six-game road series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for Tuesday night, July 21, at 7:05 p.m. from Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
NOTES TO KNOW
- INF Garrett Howe went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a sacrifice fly on Sunday afternoon. The 2024 11th-round pick out of Samford logged his second multi-RBI game during the month of July, joining his performance on July 3 at West Michigan (also two RBI).
- INF Juan Benjamin went 1-for-4 with a single on Sunday afternoon. The Santiago, Dominican Republic native logged his first hit with the Captains since Sept. 9, 2025 in Game 1 of the 2025 Midwest League East Division Championship Series versus West Michigan.
- LHP Jackson Humphries (ND), MLB Pipeline’s No. 27 Guardians prospect, allowed two hits in 3.1 innings of work on Sunday afternoon. The 2022 eighth-round pick out of Fuquay-Varina HS (NC) leads High-A pitchers (minimum 50 innings pitched) with a .163 opposing batting average in 50.2 innings pitched this season.
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.