Late scores help Tigers edge past Pirates in pitchers duel

WHEELERSBURG — Pitching made a “Hughes” difference for the Ironton Fighting Tigers.

Jacob Hughes pitched a two-hitter as Ironton blanked the Wheelersburg Pirates 2-0 in a non-league game on Thursday.

Hughes struck out nine, did not issue a walk and used just 87 pitches as he got the complete game win along with the help of some good base running and clutch hitting.

“He’s just a bulldog,” said Ironton coach John Hunt. “He just goes out there and he just keeps on playing and he just pitches his own game. We don’t call pitches around here. I teach that I want the guys to learn to feel their own way through things. Whatever they’re confident in throwing at the time is what they need to be throwing.

“Every once in a while I’ll walk out there and say I would have thrown that one. But what he’s confident in, he can put that curveball where he wants and when he wants because he has confidence in what he’s throwing.”

Wheelersburg’s pitching was solid as well with a trio of pitchers limiting Ironton to five hits with eight strikeouts and four walks.

Hughes and two Pirate pitchers were locked in a scoreless battle until the fifth inning when Ironton got its first run.

Carter Bridges led off with a walk and courtesy runner Mason Wheeler went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Carson Freeman.

Silas Ginger nearly gave the Tigers the lead at his at bat, but Wheelersburg third baseman Andrew Tabor made a leaping grab from third to make a run-saving play.

But Brycen Kerns came up with a clutch two-out single on a 2-2 pitch with a hard hit ball off the glove of the shortstop into shallow left field allowing Wheeler to score.

“The difference is speed, When you’ve got speed on the bases you can make a few things happen,” said Hunt. “If you have to play spot to spot, station to station, you’ve got to rely on hit after hit. The difference was getting some speed out there and making things happen and then get one little hit here and there.”

Ironton added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.

Tanner Kleinman walked, stole second and went to third on a hit by Hughes. Ethan Sutton hit into a force play at second base that allowed Kleinman to score.

“We’ve been having a hard time the last couple of games leaving the bases loaded. I don’t like this problem,” said Hunt with a laugh. “We’ve got to figure out a better way of getting the guys around the bases.”

Pirates’ coach Derek Moore said his team was at fault for allowing Ironton to score.

“The two runs they got were kind of self-inflicted,” said Moore. “They got a leadoff walk, stolen base or passed ball, whatever it might be. You’ve got to give Andrew Tabor great kukos. He made a great catch. If he could hop up on his feet we could probably double them up and get out of the inning. They came up when they needed to and made plays.”

The Pirates threatened in the bottom of the seventh but Hughes was able to dig deep and work his way out of the jam.

“We knew the Hughes boy was going to pitch and we knew it was going to be a tall task,” said Pirates’ coach Derek Moore.

“Kudos to our three arms. I thought Tanner did a good job keeping them off-balance. Owen came in after having the flu all week and he gave us a chance and then Cameron kind of shutting it down.”

Brady Music reached on an error with one out. Music went to second on a balk but Hughes struck out the next batter for the second out. Music got to third base on a passed ball. But Hughes struck out the next batter to end the threat and the game.

Kerns and Hughes each collected two hits for Ironton. Kerns and Sutton each drove in a run for Ironton while Hughes stole two bases. Ironton stole five bases in the game.

Brady Doss and Brady Music collected the only hits for Wheelersburg.

Scior went the first 3 and 2/3 innings giving up one hit with seven strikeouts and three walks. Owen Wilburn came on in relief in the fourth inning and pitched 2 and 1/3 innings allowing two hits, an earned run with a walk and a strikeout,. Cameron Conn worked the final inning giving up two hits and an earned run.

“What’s shot us in the foot this year is not making the routine plays and against a good team it’s a turn in the baseball game,” said Moore. “If you don’t make those plays you’ll lose in those games and that’s what’s happened to us.”

Ironton will be back in action on Monday where they open league play against Fairland. Wheelersburg faces Kenton Ridge at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Chillicothe Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Ironton 000 010 1 = 2 5 2

Wheelersburg 000 000 0 = 0 2 3

Jacob Hughes and Ethan Sutton. Tanner Scior, Owen Wilburn (4), Cameron Conn (7) and Brady Doss. W-Hughes (W-7.0, H-2, R-0, K-9, BB-0). L-Wilburn (IP-2.1, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-1, BB-1, WP-1). Scior (IP-3.2, H-1, R-0, ER-0, K-7, BB-3). Conn (IP-1.0, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-0, BB-0). Hitting–Ironton: Bryson Kerns 2-3 RBI, Tanner Kleinman 1-3, Jacob Hughes 2-4, Ethan Sutton RBI; Wheelersburg: Brady Doss 1-2, Brady Music 1-3.

Ironton 000 010 0 = 2 5 2

Wheelersburg 000 000 0 = 0 2 3

Jacob Hughes and Ethan Sutton. Tanner Scior, Owen Wilburn (4), Cameron Conn (7) and Brady Doss. W-Hughes (W-7.0, H-2, R-0, K-9, BB-0). L-Wilburn (IP-2.1, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-1, BB-1, WP-1). Scior (IP-3.2, H-1, R-0, ER-0, K-7, BB-3). Conn (IP-1.0, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-0, BB-0). Hitting–Ironton: Bryson Kerns 2-3 RBI, Tanner Kleinman 1-3, Jacob Hughes 2-4, Ethan Sutton RBI; Wheelersburg: Brady Doss 1-2, Brady Music 1-3.