LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Brody Chrisman and Gavin Smith each provided walk-off singles to center field as the Lafayette Aviators swept the Johnstown Mill Rats 3-2 and 11-10 during Wednesday’s doubleheader.
Lafayette clinched the second-half Northeast Division title. The Aviators will play at Johnstown at 7 p.m. Friday in the division championship game.
Scheduled to be two seven-inning games, the first one went nine frames and the second one lasted eight.
Chrisman ended the first game in the bottom of the ninth.
Diego Frey led Lafayette with two doubles in the first game. Cole McDaniel struck out five batters over 7 2/3 innings.
Johnstown starter Fabrizio Salinas went 5 2/3 frames, striking out four and allowing one run. EJ Lott permitted two unearned runs over 2 2/3 innings.
Sergio DeCello doubled in a run for the Mill Rats in the fifth inning.
Lafayette tied it in the sixth on Kolton Schaller’s RBI single. Each team scored in the eighth to extend the game.
In the second game, Johnstown tied it at 9-all with six runs in the fifth inning. Brennon Seigler provided a two-run single.
Lafayette led 9-3 after the fourth inning.
Smith totaled three hits, including a triple, and four RBIs to lead Lafayette. Adrian Davis, Frey, Schaller (home run, three RBIs) and Keifer Wilson (double, two RBIs) each produced two hits.
Mike Polubinski was 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs to spark Johnstown. Caden Buxton (double) and Seigler each drove in two runs.
In the eighth, an error tied the game and Smith’s single ended the contest.
Johnstown starter Ray Smith allowed seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Johnstown travels to Champion City Thursday.