Mills tees off on Mill Rats
Jun. 23—Pat Mills hit two home runs, including the go-ahead shot in the fifth inning, to lead the West Virginia Miners to a 13-8 win over the Johnstown Mill Rats Tuesday at Linda K. Epling Stadium in Beckley.
Mills added a two-run homer to start a five-run eighth inning. It was the third straight home game against the Mill Rats that the Miners pulled away with a multiple-run eighth inning.
Mills, who finished 3-for-5 with six runs batted in, now has seven home runs and leads the Prospect League with 30 RBIs. He also raised his average to .435.
The Miners (12-9) spotted Johnstown a 5-1 lead before getting two runs in the third. Denver Blinn singled and David Meech walked to lead off the fifth before Mills launched an 0-2 pitch over the fence to put the Miners ahead 6-5.
Isaiah Ortega-Jones followed Mills' homer in the eighth with a two-run blast of his own.
Straton Podaras was 3-for-3 with three RBIs for the Miners, who moved to within 1 1/2 games of first-place Champion City in the East's Ohio River Valley Division. The Kings were playing the second game of a doubleheader at Danville at press time.
Andrew Neff (1-0) pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to get the win. He held the Mill Rats to one hit, struck out three and walked three.
Tyler Dellerman and Andre Good had two RBIs apiece for Johnstown (6-16).
The teams were supposed to resume a game that was successfully protested by the Mill Rats after the Miners used an ineligible player in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday. The Miners appealed the ruling and a final decision is forthcoming.
The Miners will start a three-game series against Lafayette Wednesday at Epling Stadium. First pitch all three nights is set for 6:35 p.m.
