West Michigan 7, Dragons 3 (Game 1) Dragons 5, West Michigan 0 (Game 2) Game 1 Click here for the box score West Michigan (R-H-E): 7-6-0; Dayton (R-H-E): 3-5-2 Win: Carlos Guzman (4-5); Loss: Miguel Medrano (1-1); Save: None HR: Dayton: Elly De La Cruz, 2 (16th, 0 on base

Game 1 Click here for the box score

West Michigan (R-H-E): 7-6-0; Dayton (R-H-E): 3-5-2

Win: Carlos Guzman (4-5); Loss: Miguel Medrano (1-1); Save: None

HR: Dayton: Elly De La Cruz, 2 (16th, 0 on base in fourth inning; 17th, 0 on base in sixth inning). HR: West Michigan: Trei Cruz (6th, 1 on base in fourth inning).

Game 2 Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 5-6-0; West Michigan (R-H-E): 0-1-1

Win: Christian Roa (3-3); Loss: Matt Walker (0-1); Save: None

HR: Dayton: Quin Cotton (1st, 0 on base in first inning); Elly De La Cruz (18th, 0 on base in third inning); Ashton Creal (2nd, 0 on base in fourth inning). HR: West Michigan: None

Dayton, Ohio—Elly De La Cruz hit three home runs in a doubleheader to raise his total to 18 for the season and the Dayton Dragons shutout the West Michigan Whitecaps 5-0 in the second game on Thursday night. The Whitecaps won the first game, 7-3.

A crowd of 7,715 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

De La Cruz hit two homers in the first game on Thursday including one left-handed and one right-handed, becoming the first Dayton player to belt homers from both sides of the plate in the same game since Henry Rodriguez on April 12, 2010.

De La Cruz added another homer in the second game, one of three the Dragons hit in the win. Quin Cotton and Ashton Creal also connected on second game home runs for Dayton.

De La Cruz went 4 for 6 in the doubleheader with three home runs and a stolen base.

Dragons pitchers Christian Roa and Vin Timpanelli combined on a one-hit shutout in the second game. Roa (3-3) earned the win, tossing five innings and striking out nine while walking two. Roa retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced including eight on strikeouts.

The only hit of the game by West Michigan came on the first pitch of the game, a single by Ben Malgeri. Timpanelli replaced Roa to start the sixth and retired six of the seven batters he faced, striking out three.

Cotton opened the bottom of the first with a home run for the Dragons to give them a quick 1-0 lead. De La Cruz homered in the third and J.V. Martinez added a run-scoring single in the inning to make it 3-0. Creal hit a long home run in the fourth to make it 4-0, and Mat Nelson drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth to close out the scoring.

In the first game, West Michigan jumped out to a 6-0 lead before De La Cruz homered in the bottom of the fourth. The Dragons pulled to 6-3 in the sixth on De La Cruz’s second homer of the game, but they could not score again as West Michigan added a run in the seventh. Dragons starter Miguel Medrano (1-1) took the loss in game one, allowing four runs (three earned) in three innings.

Up Next: The Dragons host West Michigan in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Evan Kravetz (4-2, 4.40) will start for Dayton. For ticket information, go daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: All Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE. Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App, or on a computer at wone.com. Games are also available on HD Radio on 104.7 WTUI HD 2.