Paints take down Lafayette Aviators with methodical offense
CHILLICOTHE — The Chillicothe Paints have been given new life.
Coach Jackson White can sense it, and his players can as well. It's been a gradual evolution over the course of a week, where the Paints have shifted from sputtering through their July schedule to winning six games in seven days.
It's not another winning streak. There were two hard-to-stomach losses in those seven days. But the past week has been a net positive for the Paints, and their 9-6 win over the Lafayette Aviators on Tuesday night only adds to it.
White says the renewed vigor in his players comes from multiple factors, but the introduction of hitting coach Greg Cypret has seen the biggest change. Cypret has been with the team for less than a month, but White believes he's been instrumental in renewing an offense that stalled midway through July.
"Ever since he's gotten here we've had so many better at bats and just driving the ball more," White said. "Even though some of them are outs, we hit them right to guys. We're driving the baseball and that's what I want to see."
Cypret's expertise was put to the test Tuesday. The Aviators scored five runs in the second inning and clamped down on the massive early lead.
But the Paints didn't falter.
They maintained an even keel and chipped away at their deficit. They made slow-going, methodical progress, but the Paints overwhelmed the Aviators one hit at a time. They went from trailing by four runs to leading by three in just five innings. Eight of the Paints recorded at least one hit Tuesday, and four of them batted in at least one run.
"Baseball is a game of never give up right?" outfielder Tommy Thamann said. "As long as you have one out left, you're going to get a chance, and that was our mentality."
Thamann stuck out among the lineup as the rest of his teammates carved up the Aviators' pitching staff. The outfielder went 3-for-4 Tuesday, notching three singles with an RBI and two stolen bases.
Thamann's performance might not have stuck out had it been an ordinary night for him. But Tuesday was his first night in the lineup. He hadn't appeared in a game for the Paints before Tuesday night, and he was just recently added to the roster. In fact, he had only met many of his teammates and coaches in person on the day of the game.
"I've talked to him on the phone a couple times, and I met him for the first time today in person," White said. "You can tell he's a guy that wants to be here and wants to be a baseball player. That's what we need, man. Obviously, the hits help, but his energy and being a team player first is huge for us."
But Thamann was one player in a lineup that broke Lafayette down hit by hit. Tuesday was the example of what kind of team the Paints can be. They've spent the past week building themselves back up, and progress is beginning to show.
Tuesday's win set a new standard for the offense that the Paints are striving for. Consistent hitting from the lineup gives the Paints a better chance of riding a wave of wins into the postseason.
That's the current goal, and the Paints are sprinting toward it. Their offense has been revived, and wins have followed close behind.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Paints take down Lafayette Aviators with methodical offense
