Strong pitching leads Dragons past Lugnuts

Five Dayton pitchers combined to allow just one unearned run, Tyler Callihan blasted a solo home run and Austin Hendrick delivered a tie-breaking RBI double as the Dragons defeated the Lansing Lugnuts 3-1 on Thursday night.

The Dragons have won 11 of their last 13 games and 15 of their last 19. The Dragons are 66-60 on the year with three games to play.

Lansing took advantage of two errors in the second inning to push across an unearned run and grab a 1-0 lead.

Callihan (2-for-4) blasted a solo home run in the fourth inning to tie the score. It was Callihan’s third homer in his last nine games and fourth of the season.

In the top of the eighth, Michael Trautwein singled, and with one out, Austin Hendrick ripped a double to right-center field. Dragons third base coach Bryan LaHair recognized that the relay throw back to the infield was off target and waved Trautwein around third, and Trautwein scored on a close play to break the tie and give the Dragons a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the ninth, the Dragons loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks sandwiched around a Justice Thompson single, and Trautwein delivered a sacrifice fly to bring in Michel Triana to make it 3-1.

Dragons starter Julian Aguiar, making just his second Midwest League start, bounced back after a rough first outing last week to toss five strong innings. He allowed four hits and an unearned run with two walks and six strikeouts.

Relievers Owen Holt, Braxton Roby, Jake Gozzo and VIn Tampanelli each pitched a scoreless inning. Roxby (3-0) picke dup the win, while Timpanelli, who struck out the side in the ninth, earned the save.

FRIDAY’S GAME

Dragons at Lugnuts, 7:05 p.m., 980