Brock Netter, Staff Writer
CHILLICOTHE — After the Chillicothe Paints piled on 15 runs against Champion City last Friday in the club’s lone win this season, the offense hit a major speed bump.
But in Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to Terre Haute (4-2), it may be fair to say the Paints’ bats showed signs of promise heading into the rest of this week’s slate.
Through seven innings, the Paints (1-5) were shutout in what seemed to be another case of the early season blues.
After Terre Haute’s Ethan Hunter led off the game with a single, he later stole third and scored on a throwing error for a 1-0 lead.
The REX furthered their lead to 3-0 following an RBI double from Brendan Sher and an RBI single from Jake Armentrount on back-to-back at-bats in the top of the third.
That lead was pushed to 4-0 in the top of the fifth after Brett McCleary launched a solo bomb over the left-center field fence. A.J. Fritz then made it 5-0 in the top of the seventh with an RBI single.
However, the Paints slowly began to show much-needed signs of life in the bottom half of the inning.
Parker Murdie (Grand Valley State University) came up with two runners on and ripped an RBI double down the left field line to put an end to the shutout. Two batters later, Andrew Bacon (Northern Kentucky University) logged a two-run single to cut lead to two runs at 5-3.
On the hill, Nicholas Smith (Baldwin Wallace University) took the loss in 4 1/3 innings of work. Smith allowed three earned runs on eight hits and walked three. Cal McAninch (Northern Kentucky University) tossed the final 4 2/3 innings, surrendering one earned run on two hits.
At the dish, Murdie was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI, Bacon finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Charlie Patrick (DePauw University) was 2-for-4 with a run.
Unfortunately, that’s the final time the Paints scored. However, the late signs of promise could be a sign of what’s to come.
Chillicothe hosts Terre Haute Thursday evening at VA Memorial Stadium, looking to put an end to its four-game skid. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.
To find news, updates, and more information about the Paints, be sure to visit chillicothepaints.com.