Dragons pitchers combine on 3-hitter in win over South Bend

Julian Aguiar and two other pitchers combined on a three-hitter in Dayton's win over South Bend on Friday night. Jeff Gilbert/FILE

Julian Aguiar and two other pitchers combined on a three-hitter in Dayton's win over South Bend on Friday night. Jeff Gilbert/FILE

Three Dayton pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the Dragons string of outstanding pitching performances continued in a 3-1 victory over the South Bend Cubs on Friday night. The Dragons have won three straight games, allowing a total of four runs in those games against the first-place Cubs.

On Friday, starter Julian Aguiar, the Midwest League leader in earned run average, tossed six strong innings, allowing just two hits, two walks, and one run while striking out eight. Aguiar allowed a bad-hop single to the lead-off man in the first inning and then retired the next 14 in a row. Aguiar lowered his earned run average to a league-best 1.60, though he left the game trailing 1-0.

Dayton’s Ruben Ibarra delivered a game-tying opposite field home run in the top of the seventh, a line drive homer to right field that was his fifth four-bagger of the season to make it a 1-1 game.

The Dragons took the lead in the eighth. Michael Trautwein drilled a double to left-center field with one out, and the next batter, Trey Faltine, lined a single to right.  Trautwein intended to stop at third, but when the throw back to the cut-off man was dropped, Trautwein scored and Faltine raced all the way around to third as the Dragons took a 2-1 lead.  With two outs, Faltine scored on Tyler Callihan’s infield single to make it 3-1.

The Dragons bullpen was outstanding. Myles Gayman (2-1) replaced Aguiar to start the seventh and worked two innings, allowing just one base runner and no runs to earn the win.  Jake Gozzo tossed a perfect ninth inning to notch his third save of the season and second of the series.

The Dragons finished with seven hits. Austin Callahan was 2 for 4. Tyler Callihan extended his hitting streak to seven straight games.

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