SPRINGFIELD — The Chillicothe Paints found themselves trailing 3-0 after the first inning Saturday and never recovered in a 6-4 loss to the Champion City Kings at Carleton Davidson Stadium.
Jesse Hall led off the bottom of the first with a double and scored when the next batter, Chase Carney, singled. Carney scored three batters later on a two-out, two-run home run by Bo Seccombe. It was Seccombe’s first at bat of the summer. Champion City led 3-0.
Collin Luty put the Paints on the board in the top of the second with a solo home run to left, his first of the season.
The Paints were unable to get a timely hit and left runners in scoring position in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings without scoring a run. Meanwhile, five errors led to two unearned runs for Champion City.
Down 6-1 heading into the ninth, Chillicothe was able to score three times on a two-run double from Dylan Shockley and a bases-loaded walk to Gavin Homer to make it 6-4. The go-ahead runner reached first, but the Paints were unable to bring any more runs home.
Chillicothe stranded 13 runners in the game.
Jack Raines (0-1) started and took the loss for the Paints. He allowed four runs on five hits, walked one and struck out nine.
On Sunday, the Paints (1-3) went 1-for-8 at the plate with runners in scoring position and lost to the Kings 3-2, despite more strong pitching performances.
After a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, Chase Carney grounded a ball to second for what looked to be a double play, but Carney beat the throw at first for a fielder’s choice. Bo Seccombe followed with a double to right field. Carney advanced to third and then scored, unearned, on a throwing error by right fielder Trey Smith, making it 1-0 Kings.
Champion City made it 3-0 in the fourth with Jett Swetland’s home run to right-center, a two-run shot that also scored Dallen Leach, who reached earlier on a walk.
Chillicothe finally got on the board in the top of the fifth. Parker Murdie collected an infield hit and went first-to-third on Chris Eisel‘s double. Andrew Bacon then followed with a two-run single to get the Paints within one at 3-2, the eventual final score.
The Paints had a runner at second with one out in the first and third innings, but were unable to score. They left two in scoring position in the fifth after plating two.
Starter Nate Haugh (0-1) took the loss for Chillicothe. He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits, walked one, hit two and struck out three. Jack Huisman and Austin Calopietro combined to throw the final three innings without giving up a run.
- In the season-opening four-game series with the Kings, the team that scored first won all four games without any lead changes.
- Chillicothe’s three-game home run streak to begin the season ended in Sunday’s 3-2 loss
- Andrew Bacon extended his hit streak to three games (he did not play in the opener May 30)
- Parker Murdie has recorded a hit in each of his first two games of the season
- The Paints lowered their team ERA to 3.44 and are averaging a strikeout per inning through 34 innings
- Heading into the first off day of the season, Trey Smith leads the Paints with six hits and 5 RBIs
The Paints return to VA Memorial Stadium Tuesday night for the first of the three-day home stand against the Terre Haute REX at 7:05 p.m.