Cedar Rapids jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Brooks Lee, the Minnesota Twins first round draft pick earlier this summer, belted a home run to left field.
The Dragons scored in the third to tie the game. Ashton Creal tripled on a ball that was fair by inches down the left field line into the bullpen, and Jay Allen II singled hard to center field to drive him in and make it 1-1.
In the fifth, the Dragons scored three runs to grab the lead. Mat Nelson lined a single to left to start the rally, and Justice Thompson singled to center to move Nelson to second. Steven Leyton grounded to third for the first out as Nelson went to third and Thompson advanced to second. After Creal walked, Allen was hit by a pitch to force in a run as the Dragons took a 2-1 lead. Noelvi Marte then delivered an infield single to bring in Thompson and Tyler Callihan’s ground out to shortstop scored Creal.
Dragons starter Thomas Farr gave the club six strong innings, continuing a personal string of consistency for Farr. He has now tossed six innings in five consecutive starts. Farr allowed just one run on three hits with four walks and seven strikeouts and left the game with a 4-1 lead.
Jake Gilbert pitched a perfect seventh inning before allowing a run in the top of the eighth as Cedar Rapids cut the Dayton lead to 4-2. Gilbert got a strikeout with two men on base to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Dragons tacked on two more runs. Callihan opened the inning with a double to right field, and with one out, Michel Triana singled him jp,r in to extend the Dayton lead to 5-2. One batter later, Thompson lined a double to right field to make it 6-2.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Kernels at Dragons, 7:05 p.m., 980