Rally Falls Short for Aviators
Published on July 13, 2019 under Prospect League (Prospect)
Lafayette Aviators News Release
Lafayette, IN - The Lafayette Aviators (20-20) fell to the Chillicothe Paints (26-14) in front of a crowd of over a thousand patrons on Saturday night.Nathaniel Tate (East Tennessee) started the game on the hill for Lafayette and found a groove early. Tate began the game by striking out the first two Paints he faced and then finished the frame by stranding two runners with his third strikeout.
Chillicothe did get two runs in the third inning and one in the fourth. Chris Eisel doubled to bring in the first score of the ballgame, and then Eisel came across the plate a few pitches later on a wild pitch. Cody Orr singled in the third to score the third run in the fourth inning.
The Aviators struggled to hit the combination of Jack Raines and Jack Huisman. Lafayette only recorded four hits through the first seven innings of play. After the Paints tacked on another tally in the fourth and an additional run in the top of the ninth, the home team trailed 5-0.
Blake Schmitt (Purdue) led off the bottom of the ninth by crushing a double off the wall in dead center field. After Schmitt, Zach Schwartzenberger (Toledo) and Alex Dorethy (Western Illinois) both drew walks to lead the bases for pinch-hitter Keolu Ramos (Arizona State). When the first pitch to Ramos ran high and inside, Ramos appeared to have been rattled by the close call. The future Sun Devil was hospitalized in Danville when he was hit by a pitch earlier in June. Despite the scare, Ramos stepped back in and grounded a ball off the Chillicothe pitcher's glove and through the infield to score Schmitt and Schwartzenberger.
The score stood at 5-2 with Zach Heeke (Central Michigan) at the plate and runners on the corners. Heeke failed to check his swing on a 3-2 pitch but the ball got past the Paints catcher Cole Andrews and Alex Dorethy scored. Unfortunately for Aviators, no more runs came in during the ninth and the comeback fell short.
Prospect League Stories from July 13, 2019
- Paints Ground Aviators in 5-3 Win - Chillicothe Paints
- Rally Falls Short for Aviators - Lafayette Aviators
- Eisel Hits for Cycle in Paints' 17-13 Win - Chillicothe Paints
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