Three Lake County pitchers combined on a seven-hit shutout as the Captains defeated the Dayton Dragons 7-0 on Thursday night. he game closed out the first half season of the Midwest League’s split-season format.
The Dragons finished the first half with a record of 39-27 despite losing 12 of their last 15 games. The went 21-15 at home. Their first-half winning percentage (.591) was the second highest in franchise history, trailing only the 2007 Dragons, who went 44-26 (.629). Dayton finished in second place in the East Division, one game behind Great Lakes.
Dayton starter Joe Boyle fired four scoreless innings to lower his earned run average for the season to a 0.72. Boyle allowed only one hit, a single in the fourth inning, while walking three and striking out six. He left the game in a scoreless tie.
Lake County’s Korey Holland belted a three-run home run off Dragons reliever Carson Rudd in the fifth, and Johnathan Rodriguez homered off Rudd in the sixth to make it 4-0. James Marinan replaced Rudd to start the seventh and allowed three runs in two innings including a two-run home run to Connor Kokx in the eighth to close out the scoring.
Nick Quintana led the Dragons by going 2 for 4 with a double off the left-center field fence. J.V. Martinez had two singles.