The loss was the Dragons sixth straight and their 14th in the last 15 games.
The Captains scored three runs in the first inning against Dayton starter Jose Montero to take a quick lead. Two extra base hits after a lead-off walk keyed the inning.
The Dragons responded with two runs in the top of the second when Cam Collier singled to left and scored on Ariel Almonte’s triple to center. Almonte scored on John Michael Faile’s ground out to shortstop to make it 3-2.
Lake County scored again in the third, but the Dragons answered with a run in the fifth when Anthony Stephan singled to right, went to second and then third on a pair of wild pitches, and scored on a double to left field by Connor Burns to make it 4-3.
The Dragons took a brief lead with two runs in the top of the sixth. Collier walked to start the inning and went to third on Almonte’s double to right center. Faile singled to left to drive in Collier and tie the game, and Almonte scored on Stephan’s sacrifice fly to put Dayton in front, 5-4.
But Lake County tied the game in the bottom of the sixth against Dragons reliever Jimmy Romano, and the Captains broke the tie against Romano in the seventh with two more runs to go ahead 7-5.
The Dragons had a chance to tie the game in the ninth. Victor Acosta was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Carlos Jorge followed with a single to right to move Acosta to third. Leo Balcazar’s sacrifice fly to center brought in Acosta to make it 7-6 with one out. Jorge stole second before Collier popped out to shallow left for the second out. Jorge stole third, putting the tying run at third, but Peyton Stovall popped out to the catcher to end the game.
The Dragons had nine hits. Almonte had a double and triple to extend his hitting streak to nine straight games. Collier and Stephan also had two hits.
Montero, the Dayton starting pitcher, went four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Romano (1-3) was charged with the loss. He tossed two innings, allowing three runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.
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