6/28/2025
By George Lucas
A passed ball in the bottom of the ninth propelled the O’Fallon Hoots to a 5-4 walk off win over the Johnstown Mill Rats Saturday at O’Fallon, MO.
The Mill Rats led 2-0 on Al Ramos’ second homerun of the season in the second inning. In the fourth, Tyler Giordano came home on a Brennon Seigler RBI single.
O’Fallon scored a pair of runs in the fifth to tie the game, but Johnstown would regain the lead in the sixth. Seigler would score on a Colton Ayres sacrifice fly to give the Rats a 3-2 lead.
That lead did not last long as O’Fallon once again tied the game in the bottom of the inning and took the lead 4-3 with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Johnstown tied the game at 4-4 in the eighth when Jace Essig crossed the plate on a Colton Ayres bunt. Sergio DeCello appeared to give the Mill Rats the lead at 5-4 by stealing third and coming home on an overthrow into left field, but “umpire interference” occurred and DeCello was returned to second base. DeCello was left stranded as the inning ended one out later.
O’Fallon would win the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Hoots’ Cade Grevengoed walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Bo Gomric walked and two men were on with only one out. Grevengoed advanced to third on a wild pitch and Gomric took second one pitch later on defensive indifference. Grevengoed scored the game-winner when Tyler Smith uncorked a wild pitch to set the final at 5-4.
The Mill Rats (0-1 second half) wrap up the series with the Hoots by dropping two of three games.
Johnstown will next face the Chillicothe Paints Sunday at 6:05pm and will return home to begin an eight-game homestand with a double-header versus the Paints on Tuesday at 5:00pm at Sargent’s Stadium at The Point.