Mill Rats Fall 10-7 To Miners In Shortened Game

(Photo by Phil Andraychak)

Recap courtesy of the Johnstown Mill Rats:

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Due to an equipment failure at Sargent's Stadium, Thursday night's Prospect League contest between the Johnstown Mill Rats and West Virginia Miners was called after six innings, with the Miners taking a 10-7 victory.

With Johnstown batting in the bottom of the sixth, a light tower in left field went dark. The teams finished the half inning, but did not return to play for the top of the seventh. The game went into delay at 9:01 p.m. and was officially called at 9:28 p.m.

Trailing 7-6 in the top of the sixth, West Virginia scored four runs off of Johnstown reliever Trey Schulz to take a 10-7 lead. Charlie Joyce retired the Mill Rats in order in the bottom half to preserve the win before the contest ended.

The Mill Rats held the lead at four different points in the contest, but the Miners answered right back after Johnstown went ahead. Johnstown led 2-0 in the second on a two-run home run by Jake Casey, and increased its lead to 5-1 in the third when Pete Capobianco hit a three-run home run.

After West Virginia tied the game at five, Casey blasted his second homer of the game, a solo shot, to put the Mill Rats ahead 6-5. Both teams each tallied a run before the Miners' final string of four scores.

Casey and Lukas Torres each tallied two hits for the Mill Rats, with Torres hitting two doubles and scoring two runs. Schulz took the loss on the mound after giving up four runs in 1 2⁄3 innings.

Johnstown (13-21, 1-2) will host West Virginia in the final contest of their two-game series on Friday night at 7 p.m.