Paints Beat Kings 9-3 For 7th Straight Home Win

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - The Chillicothe Paints, presented by CohenOrthopedic, topped the Champion City Kings 9-3 Thursday night at VA Memorial Stadium, never trailing in front of a crowd of 3,386 on Fan Appreciation Night.

Luke Walter started for the Paints, holding the Kings without a baserunner through the first two innings.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Owen Wilson walked, advancing to third on a two-out single by Brayden White. Cameron Bowen then shopped a ball over the head of Champion City's third baseman and down into the left field corner, scoring Wilson and White and giving Chillicothe (39-17) a 2-0 lead. They wouldn't relinquesh that lead the rest of the night.

Champion City (29-28) got on the board in the top of the third. Hilario De La Paz III reached on a throwing error, later scoring from first on a balk with two outs, making it 2-1.

Chillicothe answered in the next half-inning, scoring four times in the bottom of the third. Tim Orr singled, scoring on Mason Eckelman's double, making it 3-1. Eckelman advanced to third on the play, with the throw in from the outfield going to the plate. He scored on an RBI single from Victor Figueroa. Wilson beat out the back end of a double play and CJ Dean followed with a single. Bowen brought home Wilson with a sacrifice fly, Bowen's third RBI of the game, and Tyler Shaneyfelt plated Dean on a two-out single, pushing the Paints' lead to 6-1.

The Kings scored one more in the top of the fourth, thanks to a two-out double from David Novak, scoring Tyler Cox, who reached on a leadoff walk.

The Paints answered again in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-1, with Orr, who reached on a lead off walk, scoring on a an RBI groundout by Dean. 

Champion City got its final run in the top of the fifth, Skylar Mays walked with one out and scored on a two-out single by Cox, cutting it to a 7-3 ballgame, where it stayed until the bottom of the eighth.

Shaneyfelt led off with a walk, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Cole Kwiatkowski knocked him home with a single. Kwiatkowski scored on a triple by Tim Orr, his third hit of the night, closing the scoring with the Paints in from 9-3.

Walter (5-2) went five innings, surrendering three runs, two earned, on three hits while walking three and striking out two. Nick Falter tossed two scoreless frames out of the bullpen, walking one and striking out three. Sammy Stoner pitches a one-two-three eighth and Cole Pauley walked one and struck one out in a scoreless ninth.

Champion City starter Zach Cabell (5-4) took the loss after allowing seven runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Chillicothe travels to Springfield, Ohio, to play Champion City Friday night at 6:35 p.m. The Paints return home for the final regular season game of the year Saturday against Johnstown at 7:05 p.m. The first 500 fans to Saturday's game will receive a replica 2022 Prospect League championship ring, courtesy of CohenOrthopedic. The Paints host the first playoff game Sunday at 6:05 p.m. against Champion City.