Ironton opens up OVC play with win over Dragons

PROCTORVILLE — This Ironton Baker was really cooking.

Braydon Baker fired a three-hit shutout as the Fighting Tigers blanked the Fairland Dragons 8-0 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.

Baker struck out eight, walked two and 64 of his 95 pitches were strikes.

“Braydon Baker pitched a great game,” said Ironton head coach John Hunt.

“He pitched himself out of a few jams and the defense came around and played well behind him to preserve the shutout.”

Ironton (2-1, 1-0) had nine hits with Ethan Sutton going 3-4 with a double, a home run and four runs batted in. Bryson Kerns was 2-4 with a triple and two RBI.

“Ethan Sutton was on fire at the plate. He was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI. You don’t get many games better than that,” said Hunt.

Ironton got the only run it really needed in the second inning when Sutton got a one-out double and scored on a clutch two-out single by Dawson Philyaw.

The score remained that way until Ironton erupted for five runs in the fifth inning.

Silas Ginger got a leadoff single, Owen Gallion walked and Kerns tripled home both runners.

Two outs later, Jacob Hughes walked and Sutton followed with a home run to left-center field and it was 6-0.

The Fighting Tigers added a pair of runs in the seventh.

Tanner Kleinman drew a one-out walk, Baker singled, both moved up on a ground out and scored on a hit by Sutton.

Josh Gillespie started for the Dragons and pitched well until Ironton’s big fifth inning. Gillespie went 4.2 innings giving up 7 hits six earned runs with eight strikeouts and two walks.

Ayden Napier, Jack Chapman and Landon Evans all went 1-3 for Fairland (1-4, 0-1).

Ironton will host Portsmouth on Wednesday in a key OVC game. Fairland entertains Chesapeake in a league contest.

Ironton 010  050  2  =  8  9  1

Fairland 000  000  0  =  0  3  1

Braydon Baker and Jacob Hughes. Josh Gillespie, Nolan Fleming (5), Eli Pine (7) and Cyrus Cummings. W-Baker (IP-7.0, H-3, R-0, K-8, BB-2). L-Gillespie (IP-4.2, H-7, R-6, ER-6, K-8, BB-2). Fleming (IP-2.0, H-2, R-2, ER-2, K-3, BB-1). Pine (IP-0.1, H-0, R-0, K-1, BB-1). Hitting–Ironton: Bryson Kerns 2-4 2B 3B 2-RBI, Braydon Baker 1-4, Jacob Hughes 1-3, Ethan Sutton 3-4 2B HR 4-RBI, Dawson Philyaw 1-3 RBI, Silas Ginger 1-4; Fairland: Ayden Napier 1-3, Jack Chapman 1-3, Landon Evans 1-3.