Dragons crack four home runs, handle Quad Cities in series finale

Cam Collier, shown earlier this season, hit one of Dayton's four home runs in Sunday's win at Quad Cities. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Cam Collier, shown earlier this season, hit one of Dayton's four home runs in Sunday's win at Quad Cities. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

The Dayton Dragons produced a season-high 15 runs on 19 hits as they defeated the Quad Cities River Bandits 15-2 on Sunday night. The Dragons won four-of-six in the series in Quad Cities.

The Dragons hit four home runs, the most they have had in a game this season. Carlos Jorge, Victor Acosta, Sal Stewart, and Cam Collier all went deept for Dayton. Collier and Hector Rodriguez each had four hits in the game.

The Dragons scored at least three runs in four consecutive innings starting with the fourth.

Dayton starter Jared Lyons retired 17 of the first 18 batters of the game before allowing a two-run home run to the next-to-last batter he faced.  Lyons was lifted after six innings, allowing just three hits and two runs with no walks and 10 strikeouts.

The Dragons broke a scoreless tie with five runs in the fourth inning, hitting two home runs in the frame. Jorge blasted a two-run home run to right field, his sixth of the year. Acosta hit a two-out, three-run home run, his first of the season.

The Dragons added four more runs in the fifth to take a commanding 9-0 lead. Stewart led off the inning with his fourth home run of the season.  Ethan O’Donnell had an RBI triple in the inning and scored on the same play on an error on the relay throw from center field.

The Dragons added three more runs in the sixth, getting an RBI single from Collier to highlight the inning as they extended their lead to 12-0. Quad Cities scored their only two runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 12-2.

The Dragons closed out the scoring with three more runs in the seventh, keyed by a two-run home run by Collier, his ninth of the year. Collier finished 4 for 5 with four runs scored and three RBI. He entered the game in a 4 for 57 slump.

The Dragons 19-hit attack was led by the four-hit nights of Rodriguez and Collier, while Jorge, O’Donnell, and Leo Balcazar each had three hits.

The Dragons have won nine of their last 13 games. They are in a three-way tie for third place in the East Division, four games out of first with 21 games to play in the first-half race.

TUESDAY’S GAME

Dayton at Beloit, 7:35 p.m., 980

About the Author