Paints Outlast Miners in 15 Innings
July 2, 2016 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Chillicothe Paints News Release
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - The Chillicothe Paints (15-16, 1-1) erased an early deficit and beat the West Virginia Miners (18-13, 1-1) in 15 innings Friday night at VA Memorial Stadium.
The Miners opened the scoring when Austin Norman hit a solo home run to put his club up 1-0. Then Norman led off the fourth with a single, stole second, and scored on a Tre Porter RBI single to give the Miners a 2-0 lead.
West Virginia jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a run in the top of the fifth. Nick Delgado bunted for a single to lead off, stole second base and scored on an Anthony Ayala RBI double.
West Virginia entered the game 12-3 when scoring first this summer.
Chillicothe finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. After the first two batters were retired, the Paints got a single from Dylan Jones to extend the inning. Nick Ryan then tripled to score Jones and cut the West Virginia lead to 3-1. Stewart Nelson then executed a perfect drag bunt for an RBI hit that scored Ryan. Nelson then stole second base and scored on an RBI single by Michael Blatchford to tie the game at 3-3.
The Paints took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Dalton Bollinger singled to start the inning. After a pitching change, Jesse Forestell walked and Jones singled to load the bases with one out. Eli Boggess then drove home Bollinger with a sacrifice fly to center field to put the Paints up 4-3.
West Virginia tied the game in the top of the ninth. Delgado led off with a single, stole second, went to third on an Ayala sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Dan Ward RBI single. No one would score for six more innings.
The Paints loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the 14th inning, but the Miners got two force-outs at the plate and then Nate Grys grounded out to third to send the game to the 15th.
Chillicothe got the lead-off man on, thanks to a Brad Boss walk. Eli Boggess laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Boss to second with one down. A wild pitch from James Doubet allowed Boss to go to third. The Miners elected to intentially walk Ryan and Nelson to load the bases with one down and bring Michael Blatchford to the plate. Blatchford hit a line drive to left, West Virginia's Keanan Locke caught the ball and threw home, but the throw was wide and Boss scored to win the game for Chillicothe, 5-4.
Jake Horew (1-1) earned the win for Chillicothe. He entered the game in the ninth to play third, then moved to the mound in the 12th. Horew allowed no runs on two hits, walked one and struck out three over four innings.
West Virginia's James Doubet (1-1) took the loss after allowing one run on two hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings.
The Paints and Miners play again at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The Chillicothe Gazette presents an Independence Day Fireworks Extravaganza after the game, sponsored by 94 Country.
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Prospect League Stories from July 2, 2016
- Paints Outlast Miners in 15 Innings - Chillicothe Paints
- Offensive streak continues, Jackrabbits roll on road - Kokomo Jackrabbits
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