By Lee W. Mowen

BECKLEY, W.V. – After a night where the Kings won in eleven innings to clinch their first playoff spot since coming to Springfield, Ohio, the West Virginia Miners split the series with a 6-3 win over Champion City. The Kings were held to five hits in the game and the Miners offense scored five of their six runs off of starter Garrett Peters (Springfield, OH; Ohio State.)

The action began in the second inning, after Peters sat down the Miners 1-2-3 in the first. A leadoff walk to Malik Williams and a single to Straton Podaras put Kenneth Melendez in a good spot to bring home the first run on a groundout. Chase Swain followed with a run-producing single to put West Virginia up 2-0 after two.

Three more runs came home for the Miners in their side of the third, as Pat Mills blast a home run with one out. Melendez and Swain came through again for West Virginia with a double and sacrifice fly to put the lead up to 5-0 against Peters and the Kings.

Champion City brought home their first run in the fifth against Miners starter Louis Lipthratt. Trevor Lukkes (Tustin, CA; Ohio) reached on an error by the third baseman, and then came home on a two-out single from Brady Emerson (Cambridge, OH; Ohio State.) The Kings, having never been shutout in the season, would prevent the Miners from that feat with the unearned run.

West Virginia got one more run in the sixth, as Deaton Oak (LaGrange, KY; West Virginia) would give up a one-out single to Chris Iazzetta, throw a wild pitch and balk in the next at-bat, with Denver Blinn sacrificing an out for the sixth Miner run.

The Kings, down 6-1 heading into the ninth, struck with three outs remaining. Chase Carney (Cincinnati, OH; Flagler College) and Edrick Padilla (Salinas, Puerto Rico; Ohio Wesleyan) walked, and moved up ninty feet with a wild pitch. Ethan Krizen (North Port, FL; Thomas) brought home the first run with an unassisted putout to the pitcher. Treyben Funderburg (Beavercreek, OH; Ohio), who’s been swing a hot bat and now hitting .256 after a 6-for-15 week, singled in Padilla before the Miners went to their close Austyn Coleman. The Kings would not score another run after the call, and the Kings fell 6-3 to close out the first half.

Champion City finished the first half with a 17-12 record and a stellar 12-5 record away from Carleton Davidson Stadium. The Kings finished the half with winning records against the three opposing Ohio River Valley division teams in Chillicothe (3-2), West Virginia (4-2), and Johnstown (6-1), as well as taking three out of four from the Lafayette Aviators, the first half winning team in the Wabash River division. The only losing records Champion City would suffer against opponents both came from that division in the Terre Haute Rex (0-4) and the Danville Dans (1-2.)

The season now moves into the second half. The Kings will be at home for the majority of this half, with only ten road games scheduled. The Kings will face Chillicothe for four straight, trading home games with the Paints. Champion City is back home Friday Night and Sunday Afternoon for the Fourth of July, where Active Military members and Veterans get through the gate absolutely free. Visit championcitykings.com for more information on tickets and how to watch the next games on PL TV.