By Lee W. Mowen

JOHNSTOWN, PA – Between Champion City’s Jake Miller (Chester, NY; Valparaiso) and Brendan Gray of Johnstown, fans at Sargant’s Stadium at The Point were treated to a fantastic pitchers’ duel. The two starters threw at least seven innings each as the Mill Rats won 3-1.

It appeared the Kings would take an early lead in their first inning, as Mitchell Okuley (Powell, OH; Ohio State) drew a one-out walk. Brent Widder (Sheboygan, WI; Evansville) followed it up with a first-pitch single. With Lukas Galdoni (Hawthorn Woods, IL; Butler) batting, both baserunners stole the next base, putting Champion City at second and third with just one out. Gray would keep the runners there, as a pair of strikeouts kept the Kings at bay.

The Mill Rats struck first with two runs in their third inning. A two-run home run by Trey Lipscomb with two outs gave Johnstown the permanent lead for the Thursday Night contest. The Mill Rats added one more run in their eighth inning, chasing Miller away from the mound. Lipscomb brought in his third RBI against Treyben Funderburg (Beavercreek, OH; Ohio) with a base hit, putting all three runs against Miller.

Champion City would not be shut out on this night, as the Kings made it tough against closer Will Conroy. Ethan Krizen (North Port, FL; Thomas) picked up a one-out base hit, with J.J. Wetherholt (Gibsonia, PA; West Virginia) doubling afterwards. Bo Seccombe (Tallahassee, FL; Faulkner) walked to load the bases with one out, and Alex Ryan (Lake Mills, WI; Valparaiso) lobbed a sacrifice fly for the first and only run for the Kings. The Mill Rats held on with the tying run at first to win 3-1.

Miller, despite taking the loss, pitched well again for Champion City. The left-hander threw 7.1 innings with three earned runs on five hits, zero walks, and ten strikeouts. Miller currently has 62 strikeouts on the year, with 25 punchouts against Johnstown. Miller also has thrown three games pitched with double-digit strikeouts.

The Kings have now lost six in a row, looking to avoid a sweep against the Mill Rats. Johnstown currently has the top spot in the Ohio River Valley division for the second half.

Champion City will host the Chillicothe Paints for the final time in the 2021 regular season this weekend. Playoff tickets are now on sale by visiting the ticket office at Carleton Davidson Stadium one hour before any home game or by visiting The MacRay Co. on West North Street in Springfield. Visit championcitykings.com for more information on tickets and how to watch the next games on PL TV.