Blue Devils take advantage of mistakes to hand Tigers first league loss

IRONTON — To err is human and to forgive is divine. But to error in baseball is to give away runs.

Two costly errors enabled the Gallia Academy Blue Devils to beat the Ironton Fighting Tigers 4-2 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.

Ironton had five errors but two of their miscues led to three runs and proved to be the difference in the outcome.

“The only thing we didn’t do was fluff the bow on the gifts we handed them,” said Ironton coach John Hunt. “Our mental mistakes and lack of urgency cost us.”

The Blue Devils (5-5, 3-1) scored twice with two outs in the first inning.

Logan Drummond reached on a missed third strike throwing error, Brady Conley singled, Nolan Mitchell was hit by a pitch  and Nathan Shockey had a two-run single.

Gallia got a run in the third  when Beckett Camden walked, went all the way to third base on a sacrifice by Drummond when Ironton failed to cover third base, and Conley had an RBI single.

Ironton (4-2, 3-1) got a run back in the bottom of the inning with two outs.

Jacob Hughes walked, stole second, went to third on an infield hit by Sutton and scored on a throwing error.

But the Blue Devils came back with a run in the top of the fourth on a two-out single by David Champlin who went to second on an error and scored on a hit by Jaxon Myers.

“I don’t mind losing when another team beats you, but when you beat yourself, that bothers me,” said Hunt.

Bryson Kerns singled, was forced out at second base by Braydon Baker, but Hughes tripled to deep center to score Baker.

Ironton threatened in the seventh when Kerns got a one-out double but was left stranded.

Drummond went the distance for the win as he gave up six hits, one earned run, struck out two and walked two.

Baker pitched well in defeat as he worked 6.2 innings giving up one earned run, six hits with six strikeouts and two walks.

Dawson Philyaw was 2-3, Kerns 2-4, Hughes 1-2 with a triple and an RBI, and Sutton was 1-3.

Conley was 2-3 and Shockey 1-4 with a pair of RBI

Gallia Acad. 201 100 0 = 4 6 2

Ironton 001 010 0 = 2 6 5

Logen Drummond and Logan Kenney. Braydon Baker, Carson Freeman (7) and Jacob Hughes. W-Drummond (IP-7,0, H-6, R-2, ER-1, K-2, BB-2). L-Baker (IP-6.2, H-6, R-4, ER-1, K-6, BB-2). Freeman (IP-0.1, H-0, R-0, K-0, BB-0). Hitting–Gallia: Jaxon Myers 1-4 RBI, Brady Conley 2-3, Nathan Shockey 1-4 2-RBI, David Champlin; Ironton: Bryson Kerns 2-4, Jacob Hughes 1-2 3B RBI, Ethan Sutton 1-3, Dawson Philyaw 2-3.