The Dragons scored single runs in the fourth and eighth innings while Dayton pitchers were able to consistently work out of trouble to keep Fort Wayne scoreless.
Dayton took the lead in the fourth when Leo Balcazar singled to begin the inning and went to third on a base hit to center field by John Michael Faile. Victor Acosta grounded into a fielder’s choice as Balcazar scored to make it 1-0.
The Dragons scored again in the eighth when Johnny Ascanio walked, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Balcazar’s two-out bloop double beyond the reach of the shortstop and in front of the center fielder to make it 2-0.
Dayton starting pitcher Gabriel Aguilera (1-2) worked out of jams in nearly every inning. Fort Wayne had runners in scoring position with less than two outs in the first, second, and fifth innings, but Aguilera was able to pitch out of trouble.
In the fifth, with a runner at second and two outs, Fort Wayne’s Brandon Butterworth singled to center field as the runner attempted to score, but Dayton’s Carlos Jorge fielded the hit and fired a strike on to the plate. Catcher Connor Burns tagged the runner to end the threat.
Joseph Menefee allowed a pair of two-out base runners in the sixth but got out of the jam on a ground out, and then pitched a perfect seventh inning.
Easton Sikorski pitched a perfect eighth inning and gave up two hits in the ninth but got a double play ball and a game-ending strikeout for the save.
The Dragons had eight hits. Balcazar led the way, going 3 for 4 with a double, run scored, and RBI. Ariel Almonte had two hits for the Dragons.
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