6/24/2025
By George Lucas
The Johnstown Mill Rats scored six times over the first two innings to down the Champion City Kings 7-2 Tuesday at Sargent’s Stadium at The Point.
In the first, Colton Ayres drove in Peyton Starr and Sergio DeCello knocked in Ayres and Brady Gavula to put the Mill Rats up early 3-0 after one.
In the second, the Kings loaded the bases with no one out, but Johnstown starter Joe Tootle (2-2) buckled down and retired the next three Champion City batters to keep the Kings off the scoreboard.
The Rats added three more runs in the bottom of the second. Al Ramos scored on a Cooper Rasmussen RBI double. Newcomer Kuyper Lashutka and Rasmussen both scored on a Brady Gavula RBI single as the Rats doubled their lead to 6-0.
The Kings finally got on the board in the third. Logan Keilen tripled and drove in Brady Lester for Champion City’s first run.
Champion City added another run in the fifth when JoJo Nelson crossed the plate following a Jackson Frasure RBI double.
The Mill Rats added their seventh and final run in the seventh inning. Peyton Starr doubled, scoring Jace Essig to set the final at 7-2.
Tootle tossed 6.0 innings for the win allowing two runs on six hits while striking out three and walking one batter.
Ethan Duff recorded his first save of the campaign throwing six innings in relief. Duff allowed just one hit, no runs, struck out four and walked one.
Kings starter Aaron Taka took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the year. Taka gave up four runs on four hits, walking one and striking out a batter.
The Mill Rats now own a 6-0 record versus the Kings this season.
Johnstown and Champion City meet again Wednesday at 7:00pm at Sargent’s Stadium at The Point.