Loons take first game of double header with 9-4 victory over the Dayton Dragons

 

The Great Lakes Loons (13-25) were swinging some hot bats in a 9-4 victory over the Dayton Dragons (Cincinnati Reds) in the first game of (two 7-inning games) a double-header at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, OH tonight. 

 

Loons first baseman Jared Walker led off the second with a triple and scored on a single by catcher Gersel Pitre, before Pitre was driven in on an RBI-double off the bat of third baseman Eric Peterson for a 2-0 Loons lead in the top of the second inning.

 

The Loons broke the game wide open in the fourth when Walker led off with a double, then was driven in on an RBI-double by Pitre, before DH Mitchell Hansen scored Pitre with an RBI-single, while Peterson followed with an RBI-double to drive in Hansen, as Loons shortstop Moises Perez wrapped up the big inning with an RBI-single to score Peterson for a 6-0 Loons lead in the top of the fourth inning.

 

Loons starter Leo Crawford (1.35 ERA) was lights-out, shutting down the Dragons while allowing just 1-hit, with 2-strikeouts through 4-scoreless innings, before he was replaced by Great Lakes reliever Riley Ottessen. 

 

After replacing Crawford to start the fifth, Ottessen would run into some trouble after walking Dayton catcher Mark Kolozsvary and first baseman Montrell Marshall, before shortstop Jose Garcia eventually drove in Marshall to get the Dragons on the board (6-1) in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

 

The Loons responded with more run support for Ottessen in the next half-inning when Peterson reached after being hit by a pitch, while Perez moved Peterson over to third base with a single, before Great Lakes second baseman Marcus Chiu (4) roped his fourth home run of the year, a three run shot, to make it a 9-1 game in the top of the sixth inning.

 

Dayton plated three more runs off Ottessen in the bottom of the seventh, before he was replaced by Loons closer Aneurys Zabala, who would get the final out for a Loons win in the first game of the double-header. 

 

Ottessen (1-3, 8.76 ERA) picked up his first win of the year after giving up 4-runs on 2-hits and 4-walks, while striking out 5-batters through 2 2/3 innings.

 

Peterson was 3 for 3 with 3-RBI's and 2-runs scored, while Walker finished 3 for 4 with 2-runs scored to lead the Loons' offense. 

 

The Loons and Dragons started the second game of the double-header immediately following the conclusion of the first game at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, OH tonight.