Terre Haute, IN – The Champion City Kings pulled off a doubleheader sweep by picking up twenty-one hits and both starters in Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, IL; Valparasio) and Jake Woolf (Beavercreek, OH; California Univ. of Pennsylvania) picking up victories.
For Game One, the Kings offense kicked in down 2-0 in the sixth inning. Two runs in their sixth inning tied the game up, as Patrick Fultz (Springfield, OH; Shawnee H.S.) brought home the first run, and Sean Kolenich (Parma, OH; Baldwin-Wallace) stole home for the pair of runs. In the seventh inning, five runs came home. Edrick Padilla (Salinas, Puerto Rico; Ohio Wesleyan), Sean Kolenich, Matt Mercer (Richton, MS; Pearl River CC), and Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, WI; Valparaiso) all picked up RBI hits, with mercer scoring two runs. Johnathon Ray (Sylvania, OH; Tiffin Univ.) came in the shut the door in the seventh inning, just walking one and striking out one. Lockwood went six innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts for the victory.
In Game Two, Champion City got the offense rolling in the second trailing 3-0. Three runs came home, with Matt Mercer doubling in two runs. Jonah Sutton (Collierville, TN; Memphis) singled in the tying run, capping off the second inning. The first lead for Champion City happened in the fourth inning, as Kolenich brought home Sutton on a base hit. While the Rex tied the game up in their share of the fourth, the Kings got the lead for good in the sixth. It was a grand slam by Edrick Padilla, the first of the season for the Kings, to go ahead in the sixth inning. One more run came home in the seventh inning, as Mercer scored on a Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH; Rio Grande) groundout. It was Woolf going five innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Tyler Wynkoop (Huber Heights, OH; Toledo) pitched two innings of shutout relief.
Kolenich went 1-for-2 in the first game with two walks and one RBI, and 2-for-3 in the second game with another RBI. Matt Mercer went a combined 3-for-7 with four RBI. Edrick Padilla picked up five RBI in the doubleheader sweep.
Champion City improved to 9-19, with two more road games before returning home on Wednesday Night against Danville. The second half will begin July 5th for the Kings, with the Chillicothe Paints clinching a playoff spot in the first half. For tickets, PLTV information, and more, keep it here to championcitykings.com!