SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Champion City Kings (5-4, 12-26) hosted the Chillicothe Paints (5-2, 24-12) for the final game of the current homestand as they looked for their fourth straight win.
Champion City defeated Chillicothe for the fifth time this season and finished the homestand with a perfect 4-0 record on Tuesday (July 9)
The Kings scored first and jumped to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Ben Bach (Waconia, Minnesota / USAO) and Evan Houseman (Springfield, Ohio / Bluffton) both walked to start the frame. Joe Ricchio (Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin / Southern Indiana) singled home Bach.
Chillicothe finally got in the scoring column in the sixth inning, snapping Julian Minaya’s (Hempstead, New York / Glenville State) no-hit bid with a leadoff home run to left field. The game was tied 1-1 for a moment.
Three runs in the sixth inning pushed Champion City to the lead. Bach gave the Kings a 2-1 lead with a RBI single after a Louis Florida (Wilmette, Illinois / DePauw) walk and Lucas Day (Dayton, Ohio / Oakland) single. Chillicothe intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Ricchio was plunked with a pitch, bringing Day into score. Johnny Costella (Cleveland, Ohio / Notre Dame College) made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly.
A pair of eighth inning runs added on as the Kings secured the win. Ricchio drove in his third run of the game with a double to left center. Two batters later, James Salvatori (Wheeling, West Virginia / West Liberty) singled home Ricchio to end the scoring at 6-1.
Ricchio, Costella, Salvatori and Blake Buzzeo (Stow, Ohio / Miami (Ohio)) all had two-hit games as Champion City had double-digit hits for the fifth straight game. The Kings also stole four bases, tying a season-high.
Minaya threw his fourth quality start, going six and two thirds innings of one run allowed. He scattered four hits with one walk given up. Minaya fanned nine batters in the game. Billy Nowakowski (Swanton, Ohio / Bluffton) picked up his first save with two and one third innings of scoreless relief.
The Kings will be off Wednesday (July 10) before playing at Lafayette on Thursday. Champion City is back in town on Friday and Saturday at 6:35 PM.