Stephan homers as Dayton Dragons snap 5-game losing streak

A photo of The Dayton Dragons Day Air Ballpark. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A photo of The Dayton Dragons Day Air Ballpark. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Dayton pitchers Nick Sando, Trey Braithwaite and Dylan Simmons combined on a five-hitter while Anthony Stephan hit a home run to lead the Dragons to a 5-1 victory over the Lake County Captains on Friday night at Classic Auto Group Park.

With the victory, the Dayton win snapped a five-game losing streak.

Lake County’s Alfonsin Rosario hit the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning for home run to give the Captains an immediate 1-0 lead. Dayton pitchers held the Captains scoreless the rest of the night.

Dayton’s Anthony Stephan belted a home run to right field in the top of the third to tie the score 1-1. The homer was Stephan’s third of the season.

The Dragons took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning when Carter Graham reached on a throwing error and scored from first on a double to left by Connor Burns that skipped past the Captains left fielder as he tried to make a shoestring grab.

Dayton starting pitcher Nick Sando was outstanding over the first four innings but allowed three walks in the fifth and was replaced by Trey Braithwaite with the bases loaded and two outs. Braithwaite struck out Jose Devers to end the threat and hold the Dragons 2-1 lead.

The Dragons added two more runs in the sixth and another in the eighth.

Sando worked four and two-thirds innings, giving up one run on his first pitch of the game, allowing two hits and four walks with six strikeouts.

Braithwaite (4-2) worked three strong innings, allowing no runs on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts to earn the win. Dylan Simmons entered the game in the eighth with two on and two outs and worked out of the jam before pitching a perfect ninth inning for his first save of the year.

The Dragons finished with eight hits. Acosta was 2 for 4 with a double, walk, and RBI. The Dragons have five extra base hits including Stephan’s homer and doubles by Acosta, Burns, Graham, and Almonte. Leo Balcazar was 0 for 5 to snap his 11-game hitting streak.