6/21/2025
By George Lucas
The Johnstown Mill Rats lost their third game in-a-row, falling to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp 10-5 Saturday in Peru, IL. The loss was the second in two days to the Pistol Shrimp.
Illinois Valley built a 7-0 lead before Johnstown could tally a run. Jace Essig walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on Cooper Rasmussen’s groundout. Essig would then score on a Pistol Shrimp error and trailed 4-1.
The Pistol Shrimp got that run back in the bottom of the frame and led 5-1 after five.
The Rats erupted for four runs in the top of the seventh. Tyler Giordano, Essig, Rasmussen, and Zach McEllroy all crossed the plate for Johnstown and trailed at that point 8-5. But Illinois Valley added a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to set the final at 10-5.
Mill Rats starter Mark Wechtenhiser (0-1) was tagged with the loss throwing 3.2 innings and allowing 7 runs on 7 hits.
Tyler Deleskiewicz (2-0) earned the win giving up 1 run on 1 hit over 3 innings of relief. Starter Danny Cihocki got no decision going 3 innings and giving up only 1 hit to the Rats, who had just 5 hits for the game.
Johnstown is now 13-8 and tied for first place in the Northeast Division with the Chillicothe Paints.
Illinois Valley ups its record to 10-10 and currently sits in second place in the Northwest Division.
The Rats, 2-3 on their current 6-game road trip, will wrap up the swing against Champion City Sunday at 4:05pm.