July 15, 2025
By George Lucas
The Johnstown Mill Rats snapped their six-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Lafayette Aviators Tuesday at Sargent’s Stadium at The Point.
The Mill Rats opened the scoring in the second inning when Wilder Puertas scored on a Jace Essig RBI single to make it 1-0.
Johnstown added a pair in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Gustavo Gonzalez’ RBI single plated Cooper Rasmussen and, later in the inning, Gonzalez scored on a Puertas ground out.
Lafayette finally cracked the scoreboard in the fifth. Frederick Ragsdale III came home on a wild pitch to cut the Rats’ lead to 3-1.
The Aviators closed the gap to 3-2 in the seventh when Vincent Alvarez scored on a bases-loaded walk.
Johnstown closed out the scoring with an insurance run in the eighth. Brady Gavula scored on an error to increase the Mill Rats’ lead to 4-2.
Matt Galli was called upon to close out the game and collected his third save of the season throwing an inning and a third and allowing no hits, no runs, no walks and one strikeout.
17-year-old Fabrizio Salinas earned his first win hurling two innings in relief of starter Ethan Duff. Salinas did not allow a hit but gave up a run while walking four and striking out one.
Aviators’ starter Taylor Bednar took the loss for Lafayette falling to 1-1 on the season.
The Rats’ second half record improves to 4-9 while the Aviators fall to 10-5. Lafayette is still in first place in the Northeast Division while the Mill Rats sit in fourth.
Game two of the four-game set goes Wednesday at 7:00pm.