SPRINGFIELD, OH – A back-and-forth offensive affair was capped off with a six-unanswered run rally in the last two innings by the visiting Johnstown Mill Rats, giving the Champion City Kings a tough 10-8 loss at home on Monday Night.
Things started great for the home Kings, as Ethan Krizen (North Port, FL; Tallahassee CC) doubled home J.R. Heavilin (Hopedale, OH; Wheeling Univ.) in the bottom of the second inning. The Mill Rats were able to tie the game up shortly afterwards, and taking the lead with three leadoff homers in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. However, the Kings were far from done as Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, WI; Valparaiso) collected his first home run of the season to tie the game up 4-4 after seven.
The eighth inning was fun for the home fans, with four runs scoring in the frame. Heavilin took advantage of a throwing error to score, then Ryan homered again for a three-run blast to give Champion City a commanding 8-4 lead. That would be the last runs to score for the home team, as Johnstown forced extra innings with four runs in the ninth. The tenth inning saw the Mill Rats score the last two runs to snatch victory away from the Kings 10-8.
Both starters left early tonight, with Kyler Archual (Columbus, OH; Tiffin Univ.) going into the fourth inning. His final line included one unearned run, one hit, four walks, and one strikeout.
The Kings are returning home to Carleton Davidson Stadium on Thursday, June 9th against West Virginia, after a doubleheader in Beckley against the same Miners. For tickets, event information, PLTV links, and more, please visit championcitykings.com!