Dragons fall to Lugnuts in 10 innings

Pregame fun at the Dayton Dragons game at Day Air Ballpark Wednesday night April 20, 2022. MARSHALL GORBY \STAFF

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Pregame fun at the Dayton Dragons game at Day Air Ballpark Wednesday night April 20, 2022. MARSHALL GORBY \STAFF

Lansing’s Patrick McColl hit a three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning and the Lugnuts defeated the Dayton Dragons 6-2 on Wednesday night.

The loss dropped the Dragons second half record to 12-24 (51-51 overall). Lansing improved to 15-23 in the second half (40-64 overall).

The Dragons took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Tyler Callihan and Justice Thompson connected on back-to-back home runs. Callihan’s homer was his first with the Dragons, while Thompson connected on his fifth of the season.

But those two home runs turned out to be the only two hits of the game for the Dragons.  Lansing scored two runs in the fifth inning to tie the score at 2-2.

In the ninth, the Lugnuts loaded the bases with no one out against Dragons reliever Vin Timpanelli, taking advantage of a walk, error, and hit batsman. Timpanelli ran the count to 3-0 on the next hitter and was one pitch away from walking in the go-ahead run when he suddenly gained his command and worked out the jam. Timpanelli struck out the next three batters to leave the bases loaded.

But in the 10th inning, the Lugnuts broke the tie on Shane McGuire’s run-scoring single, and Patrick McColl belted a two-out, three-run home run to center field to give Lansing a 6-2 lead.

Dragons starting pitcher Thomas Farr pitched well, going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Jayvien Sandridge worked two scoreless innings in relief of Farr and has now gone seven shutout innings for the Dragons since arriving from Daytona.