Dayton Dragons sweep doubleheader, clinch 1st half division title

The Dayton Dragons secured a playoff berth after sweeping a doubleheader on Thursday night.
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The Dragons tied a club record with six home runs to win the second game, 18-1, over the Peoria Chiefs to clinch the Midwest League East Division First Half title.
Dayton won the first game, 3-1.
The two wins, along with a Lake County loss, lifted the Dragons into first place on the last day of the first half of the season.
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Peyton Stovall blasted a two-run home run in Game 1 to put Dayton ahead 3-0. David Loruy and Jacob Edwards combined to give up three hits and one run.
In the second game, the Dragons scored three runs after a two-run homer by Kien Vu. Carter Graham followed with his 15th home run of the season to extend it to 3-0.
Dayton scored five runs in the third, capped by a three-run shot by Jacob Friend, and a solo home run by Alfredo Alcantara to extend it to 8-1.
The Dragons led, 9-1, in the sixth inning when Friend hit a grand slam, his second home run of the game, to expand it to 13-1. Carlos Sanchez added a three-run blast to increase it to 16-1.
Dayton last clinched a first-half division title in 2007. This also means that they will have home-field advantage in the first round of the Midwest League playoffs in September when they host the second-half division champs.
The Dragons start the second half of the season on Friday night at Peoria.
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