SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Trailing by four after six innings, the Johnstown Mill Rats scored five unanswered runs over the final three frames to claim a 7-6 victory over the Champion City Kings in Prospect League action on Wednesday night.
After the Mill Rats held a 2-1 lead going to the bottom of the third, the Kings scored three times in their half before tallying one run each in the fourth and fifth innings to go in front 6-2.
Johnstown responded with three runs in the seventh courtesy of Joe Alcorn coming home on a past ball and Joe Capobianco hitting a two-run single. Matt Santarelli tied the game in the eighth with a sacrifice fly, and Billy Adams hit an RBI knock to give the Mill Rats the lead in the ninth.
Max Beaulieu earned the win on the mound after retiring the Kings in order in the bottom of the ninth, recording two strikeouts. Sean Furlong pitched two innings of scoreless relief before Beaulieu entered.
Adams went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored to lead the Mill Rats offensively. Santarelli and Capobianco each recorded two hits. Joe Alcorn scored three runs.
With the win, Johnstown moves within one game of clinching the franchise’s first-ever playoff berth. The Mill Rats (26-30, 14-11) have a two-game lead over Champion City (12-13) with the Kings having just three games to play.
The two teams will match up again at 6:35 p.m. Thursday night in Springfield, Ohio.
