Paints Complete Largest Comeback, Beat Mill Rats 11-10 For Division Title

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - The Chillicothe Paints, presented by CohenOrthopedic, erased a 9-3 midgame deficit and defeated the Johnstown Mill Rats 11-10 Thursday night at VA Memorial Stadium. The win gave Chillicothe its Prospect League-record seventh division championship and third in a row.

Chillicothe got on the board first, scoring three runs off and RBI single by Cameron Bowen. An misplay in left field allowed two extra runs to score, making it 3-0.

After a 57-minute lightning delay in the bottom of the fourth, Johnstown had it's big inning when they batted in the fifth, scoring nine runs with two outs on four hits, four walks and two hit batters. Logan Myers drove home two with a single and Landon Meyer capped the inning with a bases-clearing three-run triple, giving the Mill Rats a 9-3 lead.

The Paints got two back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on Eric Colaco's two-out, two-run single, cutting it to a 9-5 ballgame.

Johnstown got one back in the top of the fifth, making it 10-5.

Chillicothe brought in Will Rettig to pitch to start the fifth, with the right hander eventually throwing four scoreless innings of one-hit baseball to finish out the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, The Paints had their big inning. Cole Raile has hit by a pitch with one out, later stealing second, Cameron Bowen singled and Felix Polanco was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Clay Burdette doubled home two runs, cutting it to 10-7. Ken Hemmer made it 10-8 with an RBI groundout and with two outs, Ty Hatfield singled home a run, cutting it to 10-9. Colaco followed, tying the game at 10-10 with an RBI triple. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Raile walked with one out, promptly stealing second and third. He scored on a two-out RBI double from Polanco, putting Chillicothe in front 11-10.

Rettig finished off his outing with a 1-2-3 ninth, earning his sixth win of the season. 

The win was the largest comeback win of the season for the Paints.

Chillicothe will now host the Eastern Conference Championship Game at VA Memorial Stadium Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against the winner of Friday's Danville/REX Central Division Championship Game. Tickets are available by clicking here. Fans can also purchase them at the stadium ticket office beginning at 6:05 p.m. Saturday, August 3.