Mill Rats split twin bill with Paints

Kriss Sydlowski's RBI ground out in the seventh inning of Game 1 plated Dominic DeCanio with the game-winning run as the Johnstown Mill Rats opened Sunday's doubleheader with a 3-2 victory over the Chillicothe Paints at Sargent's Stadium at the Point.

Chillicothe rallied back to take Game 2 by a 17-12 tally.

After the Paints held a 2-0 lead in Game 1, DeCanio supplied a run-scoring groundout in the second, scoring Caleb Rey to make it 2-1. Ty Marsh doubled in Sergio DeCello to knot it at 2-all in the third.

The Paints got their runs in the second as Tannar Patterson reached on an error to chase in Alex Bemis two batters before Gabe Pitts reached on a fielder's choice to score Brady Groves.

Both teams saw their starting pitchers go five innings with Johnstown's Jonathan Stoeckle allowing four hits, walking two and striking out one. Chillicothe's Parker Heaney fanned six, walked one and coughed up two hits.

Game 2 saw the teams trade big rallies before the Paints pulled away.

Chillicothe scored six in the second inning to go up 7-0 while the Mill Rats responded with eight runs in the third to go ahead 8-7.

Three runs in each the fourth and fifth innings, along with four more in the sixth put the Paints ahead to stay.

Johnstown battled back with four runs in the sixth to set the final.

Brady Groves (two hits, three RBIs) and Mitchel Szymczak (three hits, five RBIs) each hit a home run for Chillicothe, which saw Justin Gorski and Cam Gravelle each pick up three knocks. Bemis and Groves each scored three times.

Johnstown's Brock Budacki swatted a home run and chased in four runs, while DeCello had three RBIs. Landen Rozich collected five hits, while Austin Lafferty added three more.

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