CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – The Chillicothe Paints used 15 total strikeouts on the mound to help defeat Johnstown 5-3 in Prospect League action on Saturday, giving the Mill Rats their third straight loss.
Paints starter Sebastian Escobar (3-0) struck out nine batters over 5 ⅓ innings, allowing just two runs on two hits to earn the victory. Anthony Steele and Evan Wolf combined to fan six Mill Rats in relief, with Wolf earning his fourth save of the season.
Johnstown held a 2-0 lead through three innings on a two-run triple by Jake Casey. The Mill Rats were then held to just one hit until the eighth, when DJ Alexander doubled and scored on a Randy Carlo single.
After throwing three scoreless innings to start the game, Will Knight (4-2) surrendered three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. He gave up seven hits while walking three and striking out two. The Paints tallied one run off of Mill Rats reliever Tim Crum in the fifth.
Alexander scored twice and stole a base for the Mill Rats. Crum tossed three innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits while walking three and striking out one.
With the win, Chillicothe (30-17, 9-7) moves into first place in the Ohio River Valley division standings. Johnstown (20-27, 8-8) drops to second by one game.
The Mill Rats host the Paints to begin a six-game homestand at 3 p.m. Sunday at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point.
