Paints catch fire, work way to Opening Night win

    CHILLICOTHE - Before a fireworks display capped off Opening Night festivities at VA Memorial Stadium, the Chillicothe Paints baseball club lit up the Richmond (Ind.) River Rats for eight runs, including a lead-off home run in the first Paints at-bat, for an 8-2 victory to start their 18th season.

    The Paints (1-0) began their second season in the Prospect League with a long ball from lead-off hitter Torsten Boss, who plays college ball for Michigan State.

    The one-run lead was enough for a couple innings, but in the top of the fourth the River Rats (0-1) tied the game when Ryan Skellie (St. Bonaventure University) scored on a two-out RBI single by Aaron Etchison (Chipola College).

    Once the score was tied, the Paints' bats woke up.

    After the lead-off home run in the first inning, Richmond pitcher Nathan Dorris (Rend Lake University) struck out the side, and continued by retiring a total of 11 straight batters, forcing the Paints to their final out in the fourth inning.

    With the two outs displayed on the scoreboard, Chillicothe outfielder Jeff Holm (Michigan State University) singled up the middle of the infield. After stealing second and taking third on a balk, Holm scored on an error in the infield when Joe Corfman (University of Toledo) reached first to keep the inning alive. Corfman went from first to third on an errant pickoff attempt at first. Chillicothe outfielder Anthony Wieber (Michigan State University) scored Corfman with an infield single as the ball bounced off the leg of Dorris while standing on the mound, forcing him to leave the game.

    The Paints ended the inning with one more run when Payton Bieker (Purdue University) tripled to centerfield, scoring Wieber.

    But the three-run fourth was just a preview of what was to come from the Paints two innings later.

    In the sixth, Chillicothe tacked on four more runs to take a convincing 8-1 lead.

    The spark of the night for Chillicothe wasn't from the postgame fireworks, but off the bat of Ryan McMillin. McMillin (Western Michigan University) put the game out of reach with a two-out, three-run, 380-plus feet home run that ricocheted off the scoreboard.

    Richmond scored their final run in the top of the eighth.

    Earning the win for Chillicothe was Matt Barnes (College of Wooster). Barnes pitched six innings allowing one earned run on four hits and three walks. His ERA is 1.50.

    Blake Mascarello (Purdue University) pitched two innings of relief for the Paints and Kyle Lindquist (Marietta College) was perfect in one inning of relief for Chillicothe.

    The loss was charged to Dorris who pitched 3 2-3 innings. He allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits and no walks. For the game the River Rats had four errors.

    Chillicothe finished with seven hits and no errors, and Richmond had six total hits.

    Bieker led the Paints at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run.

    The next game for the Paints will be Friday, June 4 as they will travel to face Lorain County at Pipe Yard Stadium.

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