Tigers come through with run support to beat Panthers

IRONTON — It wouldn’t have been a surprise if Braydon Baker filed charges against the Ironton Fighting Tigers’ offense for lack of run support.

Baker has pitched well but has been the victim of very few runs.

Until Monday.

Ironton used 8 hits and 8 walks to blank the Chesapeake Panthers 10-0 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“Baker threw the ball well and we finally got him some run support,” said Ironton coach John Hunt. “That kind of thing happens in baseball. But we got hits at the top of the lineup and the bottom of the order.”

Baker threw 48 strikes among just 66 pitches for the game as he allowed just 4 hits, struck out 11 and did not walk a batter. The Panthers had only 3 runners reach second base.

The Fighting Tigers (9-3, 8-2) got all the runs they really needed with 2 in the first inning.

Baker singled, stole second and went to third on a ground out. Ethan Sutton walked and stole second and Jacob Hughes hit a sacrifice fly with both runners advancing.

Tanner Kleinman reached on an error as Sutton scored.

Ironton got a run in the fourth to lead 3-0 when Owen Gallion got a one-out single, stole second and scored on a hit by Bryson Kerns.

The Fighting Tigers created a run-rule win with 7 runs in the fifth inning.

Dawson Philyaw started the inning with a double, Carson Freeman walked, both moved up on a wild pitch and scored when Gallion was safe on an error.

Baker hit a sacrifice fly to score Gallion, Kerns singled and scored on a triple by Sutton and Hughes slugged a two-run, walk-off home run.

Kerns was 2-3 with an RBI, Sutton was 1-2 with a triple and an RBI, Hughes was 1-2 with a home run and 3 RBI, Philyaw 1-1 with a double, Baker 1-3 with an RBI, Ginger 1-2 and Gallion 1-3.

Chesapeake (7-11, 2-8) hitting was Clay Wagner, Peyton Muncy, Joe Cremeans and Jon-Cooper Barker who all went 1-2.

Ironton visits Gallia Academy on Wednesday in a game that will impact first place in the conference. Gallia Academy is 8-2 in the OVC after losing to Portsmouth on Monday. The Trojans are also.

Chesapeake 000  00  =    0  4  5

Ironton 200  17  =  10  8  0

Kaden Perkins, Colten Huffman (4), Dylan White (5) and Joe Cremeans. Braydon Baker and Ethan Sutton. W-Baker (IP-5.0, H-4, R-0, K-11, BB-0). L-Perkins (IP-3.1, H-2, R-2, ER-1, K-1, BB-4). Huff (IP-1.0, H-5, R-7, ER-6, K-0, BB-4). White (IP-0.0, H-1, R-1, ER-1, K-0, BB-0). Hitting–Chesapeake: Clay Wagner 1-2, Peyton Muncy 1-2, Joe Cremeans 1-2, Jon-Cooper Barker 1-2; Ironton: Braydon Baker 1-3 RBI, Bryon Kerns 2-3 RBI, Ethan Sutton 1-2 3B RBI, Jacob Hughes 1-2 HR 3-RBI, Dawson Philyaw 1-1 2B, Silas Ginger 1-2, Owen Gallion 1-3.