SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Johnstown Mill Rats fended off a late-inning threat to help defeat the Champion City Kings 6-2 in Prospect League action on Friday night.
Mill Rats pitchers Josh Cottrill and Andrew Kribbs combined to hold Champion City scoreless for the first seven innings. Cottrill started the game, throwing four shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. After Kribbs cruised through three frames, the Kings loaded the bases and scored twice off of a hit by pitch and an RBI single in the eighth with one out.
JD Greeley came out of the bullpen and got out of the jam by recording the final two outs, and then closed the door in the ninth.
Johnstown tallied at least 10 hits as a team for the second consecutive game. The Mill Rats also swiped five bases and are up to 11 steals through two contests. Mike Whiteherse, Matt Santarelli and Jake Casey each recorded two hits.
Joe Alcorn and Lukas Torres both doubled, with Torres also scoring two runs. Santarelli stole two bases.
The Mill Rats grabbed an early lead by scoring two runs in the top of the first, courtesy of an RBI single by Santarelli and a fielder’s choice from Chase Cromer. Johnstown then tallied runs in three consecutive innings, with Sam Mast tallying an RBI single in the fifth, Casey launching a two-run home run in the sixth and Alcorn bringing in a run with a seventh inning base knock. Casey’s round-tripper was the first for Johnstown on the season.
Johnstown (2-0) returns to Sargent’s Stadium at the Point for its home opener on Saturday night against the Champion City Kings (0-2). First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
