Chiefs pitcher pleads not guilty to beaning fan

DAYTON, Ohio -- A Peoria Chiefs minor-league pitcher accused of throwing a ball that hit a fan in the head during a bench-clearing brawl has pleaded not guilty.

An attorney for 21-year-old Julio Castillo submitted the written plea Thursday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in Dayton, Ohio.

Castillo was indicted last month on two counts of felonious assault.

Castillo was pitching for the Chiefs against the Dayton Dragons when he was accused of throwing a baseball into the stands during the July 24 brawl. The fan was treated at a hospital and released.

Prosecutors say Castillo was trying to hit a Dayton player in the dugout but instead struck the fan in the head, giving him a concussion.

Castillo didn't appear in court and remains free on bond.