Season’s first road trip starts well for Dragons as they extend win streak

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jay Allen II and Carlos Jorge blasted home runs while Cam Collier and Hector Rodriguez each had two hits as the Dayton Dragons defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-4 on Tuesday night. The game was the start to a six-game series and the first road contest of the year for the Dragons (3-1).

The Dragons have won three straight and are tied atop the Midwest League East Division standings with Lake County.

Allen led off the game with a home run to left field, his second in the last two games. After Cedar Rapids scored in the first, the Dragons regained the lead with a four-run third. Collier had a run-scoring single and Rodriguez delivered a two-run triple in the inning. Allen left the game in the third after scoring on Rodriguez’s triple. He limped off with an apparent knee injury.

Dragons starting pitcher Ryan Cardona retired 11 straight batters before allowing a pair of runs in the fifth as Cedar Rapids made it 5-3.

Jorge blasted a home run in the sixth for Dayton to make it 6-3, and the Dragons added an unearned run in the eighth to go ahead 7-3. Cedar Rapids scored in the ninth and got the tying run to the plate before falling short.

Bryce Hubbart worked the final four innings to earn the save, giving up one run on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Cardona earned the win by pitching the first five innings and surrendering three hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He allowed three runs.

The Dragons are in Cedar Rapids through Sunday before returning home.