6/26/2025
By George Lucas
The Johnstown Mill Rats claimed their 4th win in-a-row by downing the Champion City Kings 9-6 Wednesday at Sargent’s Stadium at The Point.
The win moves the Mill Rats one step closer to securing the first half Northeast Division title with two days and three games remaining in the first half.
Al Ramos swung the big bat for Johnstown clouting his first homerun of the campaign with a man aboard in the second. The Mill Rats added another in the inning to take an early 3-0 lead.
The Mill Rats took a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning before Champion City tightened the game to 4-3 by plating a pair of runs.
Johnstown exploded for 5 runs in the bottom of the seventh to seemingly put the game away at 9-3.
Champion City scored twice in the eighth and again in the ninth, but Mill Rats closer Matt Galli came on with one out to shut the door on the Kings, picking up his first save of the year, and preserving the 9-6 win.
Ray Smith (2-0) earned the win in relief throwing an inning and a third while not allowing a hit or a run and walking one Kings batter.
Starter Fabian Morales did not figure in the decision but had a great outing pitching 4.2 innings allowing one run on six hits, walking two and striking out 3.
Champion City’s Billy Nowakowski was tagged with the loss falling to 0-1. Nowakowski allowed 4 runs on 6 hits over 6 innings while walking 5 and striking out 3.
Johnstown now travels to Springfield, OH to battle the Kings again on Thursday. Then, it’s on to O’Fallon to take on the Hoots twice on Friday and again on Saturday. The road trip wraps with a stop in Chillicothe on Sunday.
The Rats need to win just one of their next three games to win the first half title. The first half of the 2025 Prospect league season ends at the conclusion of all games on Friday.