Kevin Abel Pitches Dragons to 4-0 Victory over West Michigan

Dragons 4, West Michigan 0

Click here for the box score

Dayton (R-H-E): 4-4-0; West Michigan (R-H-E): 0-4-1

Win: Kevin Abel (1-0); Loss: Colin Fields (0-2); Save: None

HR: Dayton: None HR: West Michigan: None

Dayton, Ohio—Dayton starting pitcher Kevin Abel tossed six scoreless innings while combining with three relievers on a four-hit shutout as the Dragons defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps 4-0 on Thursday night. The Dragons snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.

A crowd of 8,362 was in attendance at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

Game Recap:

The Dragons got the scoring started in the second inning. Cam Collier reached on a two-base throwing error and scored from second base on a single to center by Cade Hunter to make it 1-0. The Dragons added another run in the third when Jay Allen II singled hard to center field with one out, went from first to third on a double to right by Hector Rodriguez, and scored on a two-out wild pitch to make it 2-0.

Meanwhile, Dayton starting pitcher Kevin Abel was brilliant. He retired 11 in a row beginning with the final out of the first inning, notching six strikeouts among the 11 batters. Abel finished his night after six innings, allowing just two hits and no runs with one walk and seven strikeouts to earn the win.

What was working for Abel on Thursday?

"A little bit of everything,” said Abel. “Just throwing strikes. Throwing it in the zone when they wanted to not swing, throwing it in the zone when they did want to swing. Just mixing it up. Keeping them on their toes.”

The Dragons added two more runs in the seventh inning. Victor Acosta was hit by a pitch with one out, and Acosta scored from first on a bloop triple to right field by Yan Contreras, who then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

Dragons relievers Graham Osman, Pedro Alfonseca, and Luis Mey each tossed one scoreless inning to close out the Dragons first team shutout victory of the season.

"It's huge,” said Abel. “It's good to see the guys come out, just chip away, and score in three different innings. They pitched it just as good. We've struggled with holding a lead lately. It was a big point for the bullpen. It was big for Graham, Pedro, and Luis Mey to come in and shut the door. Feels good in the clubhouse for sure."

The Dragons finished the night with four hits. Hunter’s RBI single extended his hitting streak to seven straight games. Rodriguez’s double push his hitting streak to six.

Up Next: The Dragons (10-14) host West Michigan (10-14) in the fourth game of the six-game series on Friday night at 7:05 pm at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District. Rhett Lowder (1-0, 1.86), the Cincinnati Reds first round draft pick in 2023, will start for Dayton against West Michigan’s Carlos Marcano (0-2, 4.08). For ticket information, go to daytondragons.com/tickets or call (937) 228-2287.

On the Air: All Dragons home and road games are broadcast on radio on FOX Sports 980 AM WONE. Games can be heard on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices via the free Dragons Mobile App, or on a computer at wone.com. Games are also available on HD Radio on 104.7 WTUI HD 2.