Dragons Hit 6 Home Runs but Lose to West Michigan, 14-11

WEST MICHIGAN 14, DRAGONS 11

Click here for the box score

West Michigan (R-H-E): 14-11-1; Dayton (R-H-E): 11-15-1

Win: Ryan Harvey (5-6); Loss: Jordan Little (1-2); Save: Logan Berrier (4)

HR: Dayton: Alfredo Alcantara, 2 (13^th, 1 on base in second inning; 14^th, 0 on base in fifth inning); Justin Lebron (7^th, 0 on base in first inning); Ty Doucette (6^th, 2 on base in second inning); Jacob Friend (14^th, 0 on base in fifth inning); Kien Vu (13^th, 0 on base in sixth inning).

HR: West Michigan: Jackson Strong, 2 (15^th, 0 on base in first inning; 16^th, 2 on base in second inning); Bryce Rainer (18^th, 0 on base in first inning).

View the home run by Lebron here: https://x.com/DragonsBaseball/status/2094930525676884365

View Alcantara’s first home run here: https://x.com/DragonsBaseball/status/2094936090519937527

View the home run by Doucette here: https://x.com/DragonsBaseball/status/2094937920499048656

View the second home run by Alcantara here: https://x.com/DragonsBaseball/status/2094955225924689930

View the home run by Friend here: https://x.com/DragonsBaseball/status/2094956500930150753

View the home run by Vu here: https://x.com/DragonsBaseball/status/2094958675815276659

Dayton, Ohio—The West Michigan Whitecaps scored five runs in the eighth inning to overcome an 11-8 deficit and defeat the Dayton Dragons 14-11 on Tuesday night in the opener to a six-game series.

The Dragons tied a club record with six home runs in the game and collected 15 hits (including at least one from all nine hitters) but issued 11 costly walks in the loss.

Recap: West Michigan began the game with their first two hitters blasting home runs as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Dayton’s Justin Lebron opened the bottom of the first with a homer to make it 2-1. Lebron’s long ball gave him seven home runs in the first 18 games of his professional career.

West Michigan responded in the top of the second by adding three more runs, all coming on a home run by Jackson Strong with two men on base. Strong had also homered in the first inning. The Whitecaps led 5-1 going to the bottom of the second.

The Dragons exploded for seven runs in the second, getting a two-run home run by Alfredo Alcantara, a three-run homer by Ty Doucette, and run-scoring singles by Lebron and Ryan McCrystal to jump ahead 8-5.

But West Michigan immediately evened the score, getting three runs in the top of the third inning to make it 8-8. Two of the three runs in the inning came on bases loaded walks.

There was a brief pause in the scoring before Alcantara and Jacob Friend connected on back-to-back home runs in the fifth to give the Dragons a 10-8 lead. Kien Vu added a solo homer in the sixth to extend the Dragons lead to 11-8.

But West Michigan came up big in the eighth inning, scoring five runs to take a 13-11 lead. Dragons pitchers walked in one run in the inning, hit a batter with the bases loaded to force in another, and committed a costly error that allowed the go-ahead run to score. Dayton did not put a man on base over the final two innings after West Michigan had taken the lead.

The Dragons finished with 15 hits. Alcantara hit two home runs. Each of the other four players who had a home run finished with two hits including Lebron, Doucette, Vu, and Friend.

Up Next: The Dragons (25-34, 64-61) will host the Whitecaps (34-27, 58-67) in the second game of the six-game series on Wednesday at 7:05 pm at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Kyle McCoy (4-5, 5.51) will start for the Dragons. For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: 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.