“This has been a huge season for me to go through a lot of adversity,” said Stovall. “Just being able to stick with the process and not worry about the results. I knew eventually they’d fall and luckily tonight they did.”
The Chiefs scored one run in the top of the first inning, but the Dragons responded with three in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Carlos Jorge walked with one out and Stovall followed with his first home run of the season, a long drive to right-center field, to make it 2-1. The next batter, Carter Graham, lined a single to right field, and with two outs, Jack Moss doubled to the gap in right-center to drive in Graham and make it 3-1.
The Dragons added another run in the third when Stovall walked, stole second, and scored on a base hit by Graham to make it 4-1. In the fifth, Dayton’s Carlos Sanchez drilled a two-run home run to right field, his third homer of the year, to make it 6-1.
The Dragons sent 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the sixth inning, building their lead to 12-1. The first eight batters of the inning reached safely. The big hit in the inning was a three-run double by Stovall. Graham followed Stovall’s hit with an RBI double. Moss and Myles Smith each added run-scoring singles later in the inning.
Dragons starting pitcher Johnathan Harmon, in his third game since returning from Tommy John surgery, tossed four and two-thirds innings before reaching his pitch limit. He allowed seven hits but only one run with one walk and two strikeouts. Irvin Machuca (2-3) got the final out in the fifth and tossed a perfect sixth inning to earn the win.
Dragons reliever Tejay Antone, in his third rehab appearance coming back from his third Tommy John surgery, allowed a solo home run in the seventh, the first run that Antone has surrendered in his time with the Dragons. Antone worked one inning and allowed only one baserunner with a strikeout.
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