Three Dragons’ pitchers combine on five-hit shutout

The Dayton Dragons played their home opener on Tuesday, Apr. 11, 2023 at Day Air Ballpark in downtown Dayton to a sellout crowd of 8,135, extending the team’s streak to 1,442 games, an all-time record for professional sports franchises. The Dragons lost to the Great Lakes Loons 9-7. Did we spot you there? TOM GILLIAM/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Credit: Tom Gilliam

Credit: Tom Gilliam

The Dayton Dragons played their home opener on Tuesday, Apr. 11, 2023 at Day Air Ballpark in downtown Dayton to a sellout crowd of 8,135, extending the team’s streak to 1,442 games, an all-time record for professional sports franchises. The Dragons lost to the Great Lakes Loons 9-7. Did we spot you there? TOM GILLIAM/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Dayton pitchers Hunter Parks, Donovan Benoit, and Jake Gozzo combined on a five-hit shutout as the Dragons defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps 5-0 on Tuesday night. The game was the opener to a six-game series in West Michigan.

Parks (1-1) set the tone with five scoreless innings, allowing only two baserunners. He surrendered one hit and one walk while striking out four. Benoit went the next two innings, allowing two hits with four strikeouts. Gozzo tossed the last two frames, giving up three hits and a walk but working out of trouble in both innings.

The Dragons took the lead with a three-run third. Justice Thompson started the inning with a double down the left field line and Blake Dunn was hit by a pitch. With one out, Edwin Arroyo lined a sharp single through the middle to drive in Thompson and give the Dragons a 1-0 lead. After Dunn stole third, Mat Nelson walked with two outs to load the bases, and Austin Callahan followed with a line drive single to right field to drive in Dunn and Arroyo and make it 3-0.

The Dragons added two more runs in the seventh, both unearned, after a dropped fly ball with two outs allowed Dunn and Arroyo to score.

The Dragons finished the night with eight hits. Austin Hendrick and Austin Callahan each had two. Dunn stole three bases.

The teams meet again at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday.

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