The Dragons got the scoring started in the first inning. Ethan O’Donnell hit the first pitch of the game high off the right field wall and scored later in the inning on a dropped pop-up as Dayton took a 1-0 lead.
Dayton starting pitcher Mason Pelio tossed four scoreless innings, by far his best outing of his four with the Dragons, and left the game with a 1-0 lead. But it was a tough night for the Dayton bullpen. Lansing scored two runs in the fifth against Dragons reliever Trey Braitwaite to take a 2-1 lead.
The Dragons evened the score in the sixth with a two-out rally. Logan Tanner walked and scored from first on a triple to the right field corner by Victor Acosta to tie the game at 2-2.
But Lansing regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth against Dayton reliever Brody Jessee. After back-to-back singles to start the inning,Mann hit a three-run home run to right field to give the Lugnuts a 5-2 lead.
The Dragons pulled to within two runs in the eighth on a solo home run by Hector Rodriguez. The homer, Rodriguez’s 11th of the year, made it 5-3.
The Dragons got the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning after a two-out single by Jose Serrano, but O’Donnell flied out to center field to end the game.
Serrano was 2 for 3 with two singles and a walk. O’Donnell’s triple extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Notes: Dragons outfielder Carlos Jorge missed his second straight game with leg cramps. Cam Collier, a candidate for Midwest League Player of the Week, had the night off.
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