It was a hot, happening and a reunion of sorts at the Pipe Yard on Friday night.

With Lorain native Ray Carrion on hand, playing a concert in front of his hometown friends and family, it was a party-like atmosphere. The Lorain County Ironmen took on the Dupage Dragons in front of a season-high crowd of 780, who were treated to fireworks after the game.

The Ironmen didn’t disappoint their biggest crowd of the year, defeating the Dragons, 3-0, to improve to 12-15 on the season.

"The positive pressure of performing in front of a crowd, it brings your game to another level," Ironmen manager Eric Cormell said. "Who doesn’t want to play in front of a lot of people? You dream about it when you’re a kid playing T-ball or whifle ball in your backyard. When that buzz in the air, it just makes things a lot more exciting, your adrenaline is up. Positive pressure just makes you perform a lot better."

Western Reserve’s Brandon Cantrill started the Ironmen party in the second inning with an RBI single to score Stephen Hagen, who reached on an error by the second baseman, who dropped a pop up that barely got out of the infield. Billy Urban, who singled, then scored when Cantrill got caught in a rundown between first and second base. While Cantrill got tagged out halfway in the baseline, Urban crossed the plate to give the Ironmen a 2-0 lead.

Evan Melendez showed his hometown crowd his speed on the base paths. After getting hit-by-pitch in the fifth inning, he stole second and third base before scoring on an RBI single by Tony Brunetti to make it 3-0.

"It’s always good to have fans, it always makes it more exciting," Brunetti said.

"Everything you do gets amplified, because you can hear the cheers. It’s always good to carry momentum. We restart after the all-star break so it’s always good to get your feet under you and find your rhythm and carry it through the second half of the season."

Ironmen starting pitcher Kris Hall, who pitches at Cleveland State, was sharp and effective, allowing just two hits and two walks, including two strikeouts, through 6 innings. He threw 88 pitches total. He walked his first batter Jake Miller in the seventh before being removed for Patrick Mulligan, who pitched 1 1/3 innings.

"I really established the fastball early on," Hall said. "I got ahead of guys for the most part. I kind of let them get themselves out, just pitched to contact. First time through the order, I started with a fastball so they don’t see every pitch that I have. Toward the end, it was more my curve ball or my change-up so they wouldn’t be sitting on a fastball."

After Mulligan walked Miller and allowed a single to Steve Dalporto, Avon’s Phil Brua was called upon to clean up the mess. He promptly got Jack DeAno to ground out to the mound. Brua turned and threw a strike to Urban, who threw to first for the inning-ending double play.

Brua then got three of the last four batters he faced in the ninth to pick up his Prospect League-leading fourth save of the season.

"The kid is money in the bank," Cormell added. "I can’t be more proud of him. He’s been doing it for Oberlin the past couple years and now he’s on a little bit bigger stage. I’d like to see him in affiliated ball some day."

The Ironmen’s newest player in Justin Mackert is finding comfort in his new role after having a great season at The Citadel.

"I got some pitches I could hit and I put some good swings on the ball," said Mackert, who went 3-for-3 in the game. "It feels great to contribute. It’s nice to be able to contribute and fit in real quick. When you’re doing well, it tends to happen."