SPRINGFIELD, OH – With fifteen games left to play and the Kings with nine more home dates, Champion City took advantage of Edrick Padilla’s (Salinas, Puerto Rico; Ohio Wesleyan) sixth home run of the year en route to a 7-3 win over the West Virginia Miners.
Champion City scored their first run in the second inning, as Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH; Rio Grande) singled in Evan Lorey (Howell, MI; Spring Arbor Univ.) Patrick Fultz (Springfield, OH; Shawnee H.S.) doubled in the next run to make it 2-0. In the fifth inning, the Kings got their big three-run inning with Padilla’s home run, scoring Matt Mercer (Richton, MS; Pearl River CC) and Patrick Fultz. Padilla took over the team lead of home runs with his blast over the right-center field fence.
West Virginia chipped into the lead with three runs of their own, including two off of starter Jake Woolf (Beavercreek, OH; Cal. Univ. of Penn.) and one off of Jake Mahon (Centerville, OH; Wittenberg.) That’s as close as the visitors got, as Matt Mercer homered for the third time to cap off the scoring. The Kings won 7-3.
Pitching, Woolf went six innings and shutting out the Miners in the first five frames. He went six innings, two earned runs, five hits, three walks, and struck out six. Mahon threw two innings, only allowing a solo HR as a run, three total hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. Noah Penney (Fort Murray, Alberta, Canada; Tiffin Univ.) threw a scoreless ninth, with only a two-out single allowed.
The Kings are now 6-11 in the 2nd Half, trailing Johnstown by 2.5 games after their loss to Chillicothe at home. Champion City now heads on the road for two doubleheaders at West Virginia Tuesday and Wednesday. For tickets, PLTV information, and more, keep it here at championcitykings.com!