Still trailing 1-0, the Dragons exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning, sending 12 batters to the plate. The rally began with a walk to Johnny Ascanio and a one-out single by Carter Graham that moved Ascanio to second. Carlos Sanchez followed with a game-tying double to left field that drove in Ascanio and moved Graham to second. Yerlin Confidan singled to left to drive in both Graham and Sanchez and give the Dragons a 3-1 lead. Jack Moss looped a single to center to move Confidan to second, and with two outs, Ryan McCrystal drilled a double to the fence in center field to score both Confidan and Moss and make it 5-1. After Peyton Stovall was hit by a pitch and Ascanio drew his second walk of the inning to load the bases, Anthony Stephan lined a single to center to drive in both McCrystal and Stovall and make it 7-1.
Harmon lasted four and two-thirds innings before reaching his pitch limit of 70 pitches. He allowed one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Joseph Menefee (3-3) replaced Harmon and worked an inning and one-third of scoreless baseball to earn the win. Will Cannon fired three scoreless innings to earn his first save.
After the game, Harmon reacted with a huge smile when asked about his return to the mound after 14 months of rehab and recovery.
“It was an emotional night tonight for sure,” he said. “Very emotional. The guys welcomed me in yesterday coming here. I just tried to slow the game down. Just tried to slow it down, take it pitch by pitch.”
“Just get in there and fill it (the strike zone) up. That’s the only thing I was trying to do. Throw strikes.”
The Dragons had 10 hits in the game including six in the sixth inning. Stephan, McCrystal, and Confidan each had two hits and two RBI for the Dragons.
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