Lugnuts Edge Dragons 3-2 on Friday Night in Dayton

Click here for the box score

Lansing (R-H-E): 3-8-0; Dayton (R-H-E): 2-6-0

Win: Kumar Nambiar (6-2); Loss: Owen Holt (5-6); Save: Pedro Santos (4)

HR: Dayton: None HR: Lansing: None

Dayton, Ohio—Lansing’s Colby Halter tripled and scored to break a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning as the Lugnuts defeated the Dayton Dragons 3-2 on Friday night. The clubs have split the first four games of the six-game series.

A crowd of 7,945 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

The Dragons will likely fall to three and one-half games behind first place West Michigan in the Midwest League East Division standings. West Michigan led Peoria 8-1 in the seventh inning at post time. There are 14 games to play in the second half season through Friday’s games.

Lansing scored two runs in the second inning and the Dragons tied the game with two in the third at 2-2. Neither club could score again until the ninth. Halter led off the ninth inning for Lansing with a line drive past the diving Dayton right fielder Austin Hendrick for a triple. He scored when the next hitter, Junior Perez, doubled to the fence in center field, to give Lansing a 3-2 lead.

The Dragons had a chance in the bottom of the ninth, putting the first two men on base when Sal Stewart singled to right and Cade Hunter was hit by a pitch. Jack Rogers grounded into a fielder’s choice as Stewart reached third with one out. Ruben Ibarra followed with a line drive rocket directly at the third baseman for the second out. Exit velocity on the Ibarra liner was over 100 mph. Austin Hendrick struck out looking to end the game.

The Dragons did all their scoring in the third inning when Carlos Jorge singled with one out and scored from first on a triple down to the left field corner off the bat of Edwin Arroyo. Stewart followed by bouncing a single into left field to drive in Arroyo and tie the game. The Dragons got another hit in the fourth, then failed to put another man on base until the ninth.

The loss was charged to Owen Holt (5-6), the last of four Dayton pitchers. Holt worked the ninth inning, allowing two hits and one run. Relievers John Murphy and Andrew Moore each pitched two scoreless innings for Dayton.

Stewart and Ibarra each had two hits for the Dragons.

Up Next: The Dragons (27-25, 60-58) host Lansing (23-29, 54-63) on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. in the fifth game of the six-game series at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Chase Petty (0-1, 2.09) is scheduled to start for Dayton. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: Dragons games Saturday and Sunday will be televised 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.