Mill Rats & Miners Split DH Monday

(Photo by Phil Andraychak)

Recap courtesy of the Johnstown Mill Rats:

BECKLEY, W.Va. – The Johnstown Mill Rats and West Virginia Miners each claimed a victory in Monday's Prospect League doubleheader, with the Mill Rats earning an 8-7 win in the opener before the Miners took an 8-7 triumph of their own in the nightcap.

Johnstown and West Virginia battled in a back-and-forth contest in Game 1, with the two teams tied at 6 going to the final frame.

The Mill Rats scored twice to lead 8-6 via three consecutive doubles to open the seventh, before the Miners answered with one run in the bottom half. West Virginia stranded the tying run at second base.

Joe Alcorn and Lukas Torres each recorded three hits, with Alcorn scoring three times. Sam Mast, Necumba Booker Jr. and Pete Capobianco all drove in two runs apiece. Max Beaulieu earned the win in relief.

In Game 2, West Virginia used a three-run fifth inning to jump in front by two runs before adding its final tally in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Miners an 8-5 lead going to the seventh.

Johnstown responded with two runs in the final frame to trim the deficit to one. The Mill Rats had the tying and go-ahead runs on base with two outs, but Miners closer Charlie Joyce struck out Andrew Kribbs to end the game.

The Mill Rats battled around four errors defensively, while tallying just three RBIs. Johnstown received two runs by means of wild pitch, two by error and one by balk. Torres was 2-for-2 with an RBI and three runs scored. Luke Ferguson took the loss on the mound in his Mill Rats debut.

Johnstown (25-30, 13-11) has an off day Tuesday before traveling to Champion City to open a two-game series at 6:35 p.m Wednesday night.