Paints defeat 'Shoes for Eastern Conference Championship

The Basics
Score: Chillicothe Paints 12, Springfield Lucky Horseshoes 0
Records: Chillicothe Paints (43-17, 2-0), Springfield Lucky Horseshoes (26-30, 1-1)
Location: VA Memorial Stadium - Chillicothe, Ohio

CHILLICOTHE, OH  – The Chillicothe Paints are headed to the Prospect League Championship Series with a 12-0 7-inning victory over the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes Tuesday night at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe.

The Ohio River Valley Division Champion and now Eastern Conference Champion Chillicothe Paints will travel to the Western Conference Champion Quincy Gems on Thursday for the first game of the best-of-three championship series.

Chillicothe got started right away in the bottom of the 1st inning as leadoff man Tyler Shaneyfelt singled, stole second, advanced to third on an error, and scored on a double by two-hitter Cole Kwiatkowski. Kwiatkowski scored on a Tim Orr ground out, and the Paints had all the runs they would need leading 2-0 after the 1st.

The Paints would add more in the 2nd, though, as Jimmy Nugent scored Owen Wilson with a double to left center, Cameron Bowen scored CJ Dean on a sacrifice fly, and Kwiatkowski scored Nugent on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 Paints after 2 innings. 

The 3rd came around and the Paints weren't done scoring yet. Victor Figueroa singled to lead it off, Wilson tripled to bring home Mason Eckelman and Figueroa, and Dean singled home Wilson to push the score to 8-0 heading into the 4th. 

In the bottom of the 6th, the Paints added 4 more runs to give the game its shot to end early with a Paints' mercy rule victory in sight leading 12-0.

While the Paints were pushing as many runs across as they could on offense, Paints' starting pitcher Will Rettig was shoving on the mound. Rettig had a no-hitter going through 3 innings. He would eventually give up his first hit to the Lucky Horseshoes in the 4th, but that was the first and last hit. Rettig shut down the Lucky Horeshoes' lineup through 6.2 innings, finishing just one batter shy of a complete game shutout.

Jackson Bergman came in in relief for the Paints and finished it off facing one batter and striking him out to give the Paints their 2nd consecutive Eastern Conference Championship.

Inside The Box Score

• The 'Shoes were held to just 1 hit through the 7-inning contest as Paints' starting pitcher Will Rettig finished with 6.2 innings, 1 hit, no runs, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts.

• The Lucky Horseshoes recorded 5 errors in the game resulting in 5 unearned runs granted to the Paints.

• The Paints scored their 12 runs on 12 hits including a 3-3 night from Tyler Shaneyfelt, who scored 2 runs, and 2-2 night from Owen Wilson, who recorded a double, a triple, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBIs.

Notes

• This is the Paints' now Prospect League record 6th Championship Series appearance as they will look to become only the 2nd team ever to go back-to-back.

• The Paints have now made the Prospect League Championship Series in 3 of the last 4 seasons only missing out in 2021.

• The Lucky Horseshoes finish their longest playoff run by falling in their first Conference Championship appearance.

Up Next
Chillicothe advances to Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday's Prospect League Championship Series. They will face the Western Conference Champions Quincy Gems. Game one will be on the road for Chillicothe, before hosting game two on Saturday and the if-needed game three on Sunday.