DAYTON, Ohio — A minor-league pitcher accused of throwing a baseball that injured a fan says he threw the ball downward toward a dugout to try to keep opposing players from rushing the field during an on-field melee at Dayton.

Twenty-two-year-old Julio Castillo testified Thursday that he had been having control problems earlier in the game, became frightened as the brawl began, and did not throw at an opposing player or with the intention of hitting anyone.

Castillo, of the Dominican Republic, was pitching for the Peoria Chiefs against the Dayton Dragons when the 10-minute bench-clearing brawl broke out last July. The ball thrown by Castillo struck a spectator and gave the fan a concussion.

Castillo has been charged with felonious assault. He has pleaded not guilty.