BECKLEY, WVa. – The Johnstown Mill Rats used a strong start from pitcher Will Knight to claim a 5-2 victory over the West Virginia Miners in Game 1 of a Prospect League doubleheader on Friday night.
Knight earned the win after throwing six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out three. Sean Furlong tossed a scoreless seventh to record his fourth save of the season.
West Virginia tallied an unearned run off of Knight in the bottom of the first before Johnstown scored four consecutive runs over the ensuing three innings. Joe Alcorn and Matt Santarelli each hit sacrifice flies, while Joe Capobianco and Eric Colaco both had RBI singles.
Alcorn drove in Johnstown’s final run with a fielder’s choice in the fifth. Colaco, Santarelli and Necumba Booker, Jr. each recorded two hits, with Booker scoring three times.
Game 2 was postponed in the second inning due to rain. West Virginia was leading 1-0 at the time of delay.
With the win, Johnstown (27-31, 15-12) remains one game ahead of Champion City (14-13) for the final playoff spot in the Ohio River Valley division. The Mill Rats face West Virginia, while the Kings match up with Chillicothe.
