Cotton hits two home runs to power Dragons past Captains

Dayton's Quin Cotton leads the Dragons with five stolen bases. The team is on pace to equal the club record for a season. An experimental rule in High-A leagues eliminating certain pickoff moves is meant to increase base stealing. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Dayton's Quin Cotton leads the Dragons with five stolen bases. The team is on pace to equal the club record for a season. An experimental rule in High-A leagues eliminating certain pickoff moves is meant to increase base stealing. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Quin Cotton collected four hits, including two home runs, and drove in six runs to lead the Dayton Dragons to a 15-4 victory over the Lake County Captains on Saturday night. The Dragons snapped a three-game losing streak with the win and can split the series in Eastlake with a win on Sunday afternoon.

Cotton became the first Dayton player to collect four hits in a game in 2021. He hit a three-run home run in the third inning that gave the Dragons an 11-0 lead, and then added a solo homer in the seventh, his fifth home run of the season.

Quincy McAfee reached base six times for the Dragons, going 3 for 3 with two doubles, a single, two walks, a hit batsman, three runs scored, and three driven in.

Jacob Hurtubise was 3 for 6 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI.  Alex McGarry, Victor Ruiz, and Jonathan Willems each had two hits. All nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit. 

The Dragons scored one run in the first inning, six in the second, and four in the third to take an 11-0 lead.  They finished the night with 29 base runners including 19 hits, six walks, three hit batsman, and batter reached on an error. 

Starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft (3-1) became the first Dayton pitcher to go seven innings this season. He struck out nine and allowed only two hits and one run with one walk.

The Race: The Dragons (16-13) are in second place, one-half game behind first place West Michigan in the East Division standings.  The Whitecaps lost to Great Lakes on Saturday.

Up Next: The Dragons close out the six-game series at Lake County (14-15) on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.  Spencer Stockton (2-0, 4.37) will start for the Dragons against Mason Hickman (1-2, 3.45).