Paints Beat 'Shrimp In Peru 6-2

PERU, Ill. - The Chillicothe Paints, presented by Adena Health System, got a strong start from Dawson Gabe and used some early runs to beat the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp on the road 6-2 Friday night.

Owen Wilson led the game off with a double, scoring on a single by Jeron Williams, giving the Paints (3-0, 24-10) a 1-0 lead three batters into the game. Williams scored on an RBI single by Ben Gbur two batters after that, making it 2-0 before Gabe even went to the mount for the first time.

Chillicothe's Anthony Steele worked a two-out walk in the top of the fifth inning, advancing to third on a double by Cameron Bowen and scoring on a wild pitch - one of five in the game for Illinois Valley - making it 3-0.

The Chillicothe righthander retired the first 11 Illinois Valley (3-1, 23-12) batters in order. He gave up his first baserunner in the fourth, a two-out walk on a three-two pitch that just missed. He walked the leadoff man in the fifth, but struck out the next three batters.

Gabe finally gave up a hit in the top of the sixth, a sinking line drive to right, landing just out of the reach of a diving Gbur, giving Jared Quandt a double. He sacored an unearned run on an errant throw to first, cutting the Paints' lead to 3-1. Gabe would come out of the game with two outs in the sixth due to Prospect League pitch limits, allowing just one unearned run on one hit while striking out 11 over 5 2/3 innings. Eventually earning his first win of the year.

The Paints got another run in the top of the seventh, Steele walked with two outs, went to second on a wild pitch, third on a groundout by Bowen and later scoring on a throwing error by a 'Shrimp infielder, restoring the three-run lead at 4-1.

Luke Adams hit a one-out solo home run off Todd Bangtson in the bottom of the seventh to cut it to a 4-2 ballgame, but Bangtson bounced back, retiring the next two hitters to end his night, sending the game to the eighth. 

Isaac Danford threw his first inning as a Paint in the eighth, retiring all three batters he faced, striking out two.

It stayed 4-2 until the ninth, where the Paints scored multiple runs for the second straight night. After a leadoff walk, Steele launched his first home run of the summer, a no-doubter into the night sky, making it 6-2, the eventual final. 

Cal McAninch threw the ninth for Chillicothe, his first outing in a Paints uniform since pitching late in the Prospect League Championship Game in 2019. He retired all three batters he saw, striking out two, giving the Paints' staff a season-high 15 strikouts on the night and the Paints their seventh-straight win.

Chillicothe looks to make it eight in a row Saturday night against the Pistol Shrimp in Peru. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. EDT.