Dragons snap three-game losing streak

Francisco Urbaez’s two-run single capped off a three-run seventh inning and the Dayton Dragons held off a Fort Wayne comeback effort to defeat the TinCaps 4-3 on Saturday night.

The game was tied 1-1 when the Dragons took the lead in the seventh. The inning started when Fort Wayne center fielder Reinaldo Ilarraza lost a fly ball off the bat of Quin Cotton in the twilight sky, and Cotton reached third with a triple. Reniel Ozuna’s sacrifice fly brought in Cotton to give the Dragons a 2-1 lead. Michael Siani followed with a walk, and Jacob Hurtubise singled to left to move Siani to second. After a double steal moved the runners to second and third, Urbaez singled to right to drive in both Siani and Hurtubise to make it 4-1.

Fort Wayne scored one run in the seventh and after a 33-minute rain delay in the bottom of the eighth, they added another to make it 4-3. Dragons reliever Ricky Karcher notched a strikeout to end the threat and strand runners at second and third.

In the bottom of the ninth, Karcher issued a lead-off walk to Ilarraza, who stole second. Karcher struck out Chris Givin for the first out, and when Ilarraza tried to steal third, Dragons catcher James Free threw him out for the second out of the inning. The next batter, Grant Little, reached on an error but Karcher struck out Fort Wayne’s top power threat, Agustin Ruiz, to end the game.

Dragons starting pitcher Jacques Pucheu went five innings and struck out a season-high nine batters while allowing just two hits and one run. Dragons reliever John Ghyzel was credited with the win, and Karcher picked up his third save.

The Dragons remained 1 1/2 games behind the Great Lakes Loons in the East Division of the High-A Central League. Lake County is in third place, three games out of first.