SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Champion City Kings (6-15) returned home to Carleton Davidson Stadium on Saturday (June 22) to host the Northeast Division leader, the Chillicothe Paints (15-6).
Chillicothe started hot and held off a Champion City rally before ending the game early in seven innings, 16-6.
Chillicothe scored one run in each of the first and third innings before a five-run fourth inning pushed the score to 7-0.
Braylen Blomquist (St. Clairsville, Ohio / Wright State) homered for the first time this season in the bottom of the fourth, getting Champion City on the board.
Four more runs came home in the sixth inning as they closed the gap to 7-5. Champion City loaded the bases with a walk, single and hit by pitch. Lucas Day (Dayton, Ohio / Oakland) grounded out to plate a run before Joe Ricchio (Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin / Southern Indiana) flew out to left field for a sacrifice fly. Two more walks loaded the bases again as Chillicothe went to the bullpen. Ray Hawkins (Miamisburg, Ohio / Palm Beach Atlantic) and Louis Florida (Wilmette, Ill. / DePauw) both walked with the bases loaded, driving in runs.
A nine-run seventh inning for the Paints pushed them ahead 16-5.
Day hit his second home run of the season in the seventh inning, completing the scoring at 16-6.
Blomquist and Day each had two hits while Ricchio and Kolten Poorman (Bonne Terre, Missouri / Eastern Illinois) tallied one hit.
The two teams will meet on Sunday (June 23) in Chillicothe at 6:05 PM before Champion City hosts Johnstown on Monday (June 24) at 6:35 PM.