Paints Sweep Doubleheader in Johnstown 8-1 & 7-4

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - The Chillicothe Paints, presented by Adena Health System, earned a doubleheader sweep of the Mill Rats in Johnstown, 8-1 and 7-4 Saturday at Sargent's Stadium at the Point.

Chillicothe (7-3) grabbed the lead early in game one, scoring two-each in the first and second innings, taking on a fifth run in the third to go up 5-0 before Johnstown (4-6) got on the board with its only run in thr third.

The Paints added a run in the fifth and one in the seventh, making it 8-1, the eventual final.

Dylan Taliaferro (1-1) earned the win, allowing one unearned run on three hits, striking out four and walking one two over six innings. Noah Kandel pitched the final inning, walking one.

In game two, Johnstown jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but the lead was short-lived.

Chillicothe took the lead for good in the third. With one out, Cameron Bowen reached on an infield hit, advancing to third on a single by Jeron Williams. Nate Dorinsky singled, scoring Bowen and cutting the Mill Rats' lead 2-1. Tim Orr walked, setting the stage for Kade Wroot, who doubled home Williams and Dorinsky, giving Chillicothe its first lead at 3-2. Hunter Klotz and Connor Ashby walked with two outs. A wild pitch allowed Orr to score from third, the throw to the plate from the backstop hit Orr's helmet as he slid head-first into the plate, kicking the ball toward the first-base dugout, allowing Wroot to score on the play as well. Brett Hilsheimer stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning, this time hitting a two-out, two-run double, scoring Klotz and Ashby, making it 7-2. In all, Chillicothe scored seven runs, six earned, on five hits in the inning.

Johnstown got one back in the fourth. Andrew Kribbs sent a high fly to right, Wroot lost it in the twilight sky, allowed Kribbs to get a triple, scoring on the throw in that got away and out of play. The Mill Rats added another in the seventh, finishing the scoring with the Paints winning a fourth-consecutive game over the Mill Rats.

Brandon Bergert (1-0) started for Chillicothe, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits, walking two and striking out two over 4 2/3 innings to grab his first win of the year. (A starting pitcher only needs to throw four innings to qualify for a win in a game shorter than eight innings). Jace Middleton pitched the final 2 1/3, allowing an unearned run on one hit, walking one and striking out 2.

Chillicothe finishes the three-day, four-game road trip Sunday afternoon in Johnstown at 3 p.m.