by Ray Mileur

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Chillicothe Paints erased a 2-0 deficit to beat the Cape Catfish 9-4 in game two of the Prospect League Championship Series Monday night at Capaha Field. The win evens the series and forces a decisive game three Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m.

After an error, catcher Andrew Keck, from St. Louis, MO, a freshman at Southeast Missouri State University, the Cape Catfish Player of the Game, who hit the first home run for the Cape Catfish franchise history, hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence, giving the Catfish an early 2-0 lead.

The Catfish starter, Tommy Springer, (L, 0-1, 3.85 ERA), from Apple Valley, MN, a freshman at the University of Missouri, shutout the Paints through the first four innings, before he appeared to run out of gas in the fifth inning, finally getting tagged with giving up three runs, two of them earned on three hits and two walks.

Chillicothe finally broke through in the fifth against the Catfish bullpen, third baseman Justin McIntyre, from Portage, MI, a sophomore at Western Michigan University, led the inning off with a double and shortstop Parker Murdie, from Novi, MI, a junior at Grand Valley State University drew a walked, as Cape's relievers struggled to find the strike zone. McIntyre & Murdie advanced to on a wild pitch. Designated hitter Colin Shepherd, from Westerville, OH, a junior at Miami University, brought home a run on a groundout, then the leadoff man and All-Star center-fielder Cody Orr, the Prospect League Batting Champion, from Rossford, OH, a sophomore at Tiffin University singled home Murdie and Shepherd scored as the ball was misplayed in centerfield, sending Orr to second as well. Orr scored, giving the Paints a 3-2 lead, on an error by the Cape shortstop.

Right-fielder Trey Smith, from Sikeston, MO, a sophomore from the University of Indianapolis, with a busload of his fans sitting on the grassy hillside, started the sixth with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. With one out, first baseman Ethan Hajdukovic and Murdie walked to load the bases. Shepherd singled, scoring Smith and Hajdukovic and giving Shepherd three RBIs on the night. With runners at second and third and one out with the infield in for Cape, Orr grounded a ball to the shortstop, who threw home but was unable to get the runner, extending the lead to 6-2.

With two on and two out in the top of the eighth, All-Star second baseman Gavin Homer, from Battle Creek, MI, a junior at Penn State University, hit a three-run home run over the left-field wall, making it 9-2 Paints.

Cape scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning after All-Star left-fielder Ellison Hanna II, from Nassau, Bahamas, a junior at Indiana State University made it to first on an error by the Paints second baseman. First baseman Brady Cottom, from Matthews, NC, a junior at Marietta College, followed with a ground-rule double down the right-field line, forcing Hanna to hold up at third, Third baseman All-Star Dalton Doyle, from Olathe, KS, a sophomore at Jefferson College, who is having a great defensive postseason, from would drive in the two runs with a base hit, that marked the end of the Catfish comeback bid, as Chillicothe took the win 9-4.

Chillicothe starter Jack Raines, (W, 1-0, 0.96 ERA) from Akron, OH, a senior at Baldwin Wallace University allowed just two runs, one earned, on three hits, striking out five over 6 2/3 innings to earn the win. 

The Cape Catfish Player of the Day, Andrew Keck, went 2-for-4 at the plate, with the first inning two-run homer and what you won't find in the boxscore, is how well he has played defensively in the postseason at times looking like former St. Louis Cardinals defensive standout backstop and former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, behind the plate.

The Cape Catfish announced a special fan appreciation event in the seventh inning of Monday's night game that if the series was forced to go to a Game Three, that admission to the Championship Game would be free to everyone in appreciation of the local fan support of the team in their inaugural season in the Prospect League.

Coming up, FREE ADMISSION to Game 3, the deciding game of the Prospect League Championship Series at Capaha Field, Tuesday night first pitch at 6:35 PM.

*Jacob Wise contributed to this report