Dragons hold off Lugnuts

Fort Wayne’s Reinaldo Ilarraza steals second base in the seventh inning Tuesday night as Dragons shortstop Miguel Hernandez waits on the throw from catcher Eric Yang. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Fort Wayne’s Reinaldo Ilarraza steals second base in the seventh inning Tuesday night as Dragons shortstop Miguel Hernandez waits on the throw from catcher Eric Yang. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Eric Yang and Juan Martinez each hit a home run and drove in three runs and reliever John Ghyzel pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Dayton Dragons held on to defeat the Lansing Lugnuts 10-8 on Tuesday night.

The game was played in three hours, 58 minutes, making it the longest nine-inning game in Dragons history.

The Dragons built a 6-3 lead by the fifth inning.Yang blasted a two-run home run in the second to make it 2-0.  Martinez drilled a two-run homer in the third to make it 4-1, and after Lansing pulled to within a run at 4-3, Miguel Hernandez delivered a two-run single in the top of the fifth to give the Dragons a three-run lead.

Lansing battled back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-5, but the Dragons took advantage of three Lansing throwing errors in the seventh to score four runs and extend their lead to 10-5. Lansing scored three runs in the eighth to make it 10-8.

Ghyzel walked three of the first four batters in the bottom of the ninth inning, creating a bases loaded, one-out jam with the tying run at second.  But Ghyzel got a foul pop out and a strikeout to end the game and earn his second save.

The Dragons collected 13 hits, including 10 in the first five innings. Mariel Bautista had three hits including a double. Martinez, Francisco Urbaez, and Alex McGarry each had two hits.

Dragons starting pitcher Noah Davis worked four innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. JC Keys replaced Davis and allowed a run in two innings of work. He was credited with the win. Matt Gill entered the game to start the seventh and worked a perfect inning before allowing three hits and three runs in the eighth. Ghyzel gave up three walks but no runs or hits in the ninth for his second save.

The first-place Dragons (28-20) hold a three game lead over Lake County in the East Division standings.

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