By MIKE MONACO

DAYTON, Ohio — In his first professional start, Cubs right-hander Ryan Williams powered South Bend, but the Dayton Dragons came to life late, winning 3-2 in walk-off fashion to take the series Tuesday night at Fifth Third Field.

Tucked sixth in line in South Bend’s six-man rotation, Cubs starter Ryan Williams shined in his first professional start. Williams allowed just one baserunner (and one run) in six innings. The former East Carolina standout struck out seven, effectively mixing his pitches and pounding the strike zone throughout the evening. Williams became the first South Bend starting pitcher to work in the sixth stanza.

The Cubs (3-3) provided Williams with two early runs, but Dayton (3-3) managed to tie game, 2-2, in the bottom of the eighth inning and win, 3-2, in the last of the ninth.

After Chicago drafted him in the 10th round last summer, Williams made 11 relief appearances between Mesa and Boise. As a senior for the Pirates, Williams made 32 appearances out of the bullpen, notching a 1.81 ERA. In his first season at East Carolina after transferring from West Valley College, Williams made 15 starts and posted a 4.50 ERA. Williams tossed two scoreless innings in South Bend’s season opener, a 2-1 win over Bowling Green on Thursday.

Cubs left fielder Charcer Burks made the defensive play of the young season in the bottom of the first inning. Dayton leadoff hitter Ty Washington squared up a pitch and clocked it to left field, tailing away from Burks toward the corner. Burks dove full extension to his right and made the catch on the edge of the warning track.

For the sixth time in as many games, South Bend marked up the score column first. After Cael Brockmeyer collected his Midwest League-leading fifth double to start the second inning, Gleyber Torres knocked him in from third with an RBI single to right field.

South Bend extended its lead to 2-0 in the third inning. After leadoff hitter Trey Martin clobbered a one-out triple to deep center field, Chesny Young reached on a ground ball back to the pitcher that hung up Martin trying to score. With two outs, Gioskar Amaya looped a run-scoring single over the second baseman’s head to plate Young from second.

Williams began his first start with two perfect innings, pounding the zone early and often. Dayton nudged onto the scoreboard in the third when Jose Ortiz’s RBI groundout scored Narciso Crook, who ripped a one-out triple to left-center field. Williams edged right back on course, however, and retired 10 in a row after the triple.

The Cubs nearly tacked on another run in the fifth. Martin began the frame by lacing a double down the left-field chalk. He advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Brockmeyer then lifted a deep fly ball to center, but Dragons center fielder Brian O’Grady made a running catch over the shoulder near the track to end the frame and keep the score 2-1.

Cubs right-hander Ryan McNeil relieved Williams in the seventh. After Dragons No. 3 hitter Brian O’Grady singled with one out, McNeil struck out cleanup hitter Aristides Aquino on a fluttering changeup but then walked two more to load the bases. McNeil battled back and fanned Dayton left fielder Jimmy Pickens to hold the lead.

Dayton knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning against South Bend left-hander Tommy Thorpe. Dragons catcher Jose Ortiz cracked a one-out double and shortstop Wendell Soto reeled him in with a two-out RBI single lifted just over the outstretched mitt of Young at second.

Aquino nearly sliced a walk-off home run to right field in the bottom of the ninth, but his line drive whizzed inches foul. Instead, Aquino smoked a leadoff double down the right-field line. Gavin LaValley then advanced Aquino to third on a flyout to right-center field. South Bend intentionally walked Avain Rachal, who stole second with Pickens at the plate. The Cubs pulled the infield in, but Pickens hit a slow-roller to first. Brockmeyer’s throw home couldn’t beat Aquino, who tapped the plate to give the Dragons the 3-2 walk-off win.

Brockmeyer remains tied for the Midwest League lead with 16 total bases. Martin (2-for-4, one double, one triple) and Torres (2-for-3, one walk, one RBI, one stolen base) headlined the South Bend offense, which knocked seven hits.

South Bend travels to Fort Wayne on Wednesday to start a three-game series with the TinCaps at Parkview Field. After its season-opening series against Great Lakes was washed out, Fort Wayne was swept by Lansing at home. The TinCaps (0-3) are scheduled to send right-hander Ernesto Montas to the hill against Cubs right-hander Jake Stinnett, who earned the no-decision in South Bend’s season opener Thursday against Bowling Green after five innings of one-run ball. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.