Dragons lose second straight to Lake County

New Dragons pitcher Thomas Farr started Friday vs. Lake County. Jeff Gilbert/FILE

New Dragons pitcher Thomas Farr started Friday vs. Lake County. Jeff Gilbert/FILE

Lake County reliever Tyler Thornton pitched out of a ninth inning jam to preserve a one-run lead as the Captains edged the Dayton Dragons 2-1 on Friday night.  he two teams combined for just six hits (three by each team) on a cold night with temperatures in the high 30′s.

Lake County scored two runs in the second inning to take an early lead. The Dragons had several chances to score in the early and middle innings before breaking through with one run in the eighth. Jay Allen II reached on an infield single and raced around to third on the same play when the throw to first by the shortstop was off target. One batter later, Allen scored on Mat Nelson’s sacrifice fly to center field to make it 2-1.

In the ninth, Dayton’s Austin Callahan reached on a walk to start the frame, and Edwin Arroyo followed by drawing a walk to move pinch runner Blake Dunn to second with no outs. But Jack Rogers and Justice Thompson both struck out and Trey Faltine flied out to center field to end the game.

Dayton starting pitcher Thomas Farr pitched well but was charged with the loss. Farr worked five strong innings, throwing just 70 pitches, while allowing only two hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts. One of the two runs against Farr was unearned due to his own throwing error on a pick-off throw to first base that allowed a runner to score from third.

Braxton Roxby replaced Farr to start the sixth inning and pitched a perfect frame with two strikeouts. Javi Rivera tossed two scoreless innings, allowing only an infield single with two strikeouts.

Offensively, Allen, Austin Hendrick, and Trey Faltine each had singles for Dayton, and Faltine also added a walk. The Dragons cut their strikeout total from 17 on Thursday night to seven on Friday, but they combined to go 0 for 10 with men in scoring position including 0 for 3 with the tying run at second base in the ninth inning.

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