Dayton Dragons: Davis, two relievers combine on three-hit shutout

Dragons starter Noah Davis earned his first win with six scoreless and one-hit innings and seven strikeouts Wednesday night against Fort Wayne at Day Air Ballpark. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Dragons starter Noah Davis earned his first win with six scoreless and one-hit innings and seven strikeouts Wednesday night against Fort Wayne at Day Air Ballpark. Jeff Gilbert/CONTRIBUTED

Noah Davis and relievers Matt Gill and John Ghyzel combined on a three-hit shutout as the Dayton Dragons defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps 2-0 on Tuesday night.

Davis put together his second straight scoreless start, nearly duplicating his effort from last Wednesday. He tossed six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks with six strikeouts for the victory. Over Davis’ last three starts, he has worked 16 innings and allowed just one run.

The Dragons scored in the top of the first inning to take the lead. Jacob Hurtubise walked to start the game and advanced to second on Francisco Urbaez’s single to right. Hurtubise went to third on Juan Martinez’s ground out and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Jose Tello to make it 1-0. That scored held until the ninth.

The Dragons added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Urbaez opened the inning with a hit and scored from first with two outs when Quincy McAfee’s infield single to third base led to a two-base throwing error.

John Ghyzel, who just re-joined the Dragons after beginning the year in Chattanooga, replaced Gill to pitch the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead. Ghyzel, who spent the 2018 season with the Dragons and pitched in the all-star game that season, allowed a lead-off walk, but got a pair of groundouts and a game-ending strikeout to earn his first save.

Ghyzel replaced Graham Ashcraft on the Dayton roster. Ashcraft was promoted to Chattanooga after not allowing an earned run in four consecutive starts.