Dragons get all-around performance in win over Panthers

PROCTORVILLE — The three facets of baseball are pitching, hitting and defense.

The Fairland Dragons did all three well as they beat the Chesapeake Panthers 6-1 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Wednesday.

Two Fairland pitchers combined on a three-hitter while the offense had 10 hits and the defense made one error.

Fairland (2-4, 1-1) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

Eli Pine walked, Mac Clark and Cyrus Cummings singled to load the bases and Tanner Brown had a two-run double.

The Dragons added a run in the third to lead 3-0.

Chase Lapole was hit by a pitch, moved up on a ground out, Nolan Fleming singled and the pair pulled off a double steal with Lapole scoring.

The lead went to 4-0 in the fourth when Brown singled, stole second, took third when Josh Gillespie reached on an error, and he scored on another double steal.

Chesapeake (4-4, 1-1) got its lone run in the sixth inning when Kaden Perkins singled, stole second and third, and came home when Peyton Muncy grounded out.

Fairland answered with two more runs in the bottom of the inning.

Gillespie singled, Lapole walked, they moved up on a ground out and scored on Jack Chapman’s double.

Fleming and Brown split the pitching chores with Fleming going 3.1 innings for the win and Brown 3.2 innings for the save. Fleming gave up three hits, no runs, struck out four and walked one. Brown allowed two hits, one earned run, struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

Mason Budd had a complete game for the Panthers in taking the loss. He gave up 10 hits, struck out one, walked three and all six runs were earned.

Chapman went 2-3 with two doubles and two RBI with Brown 2-3 with a double and two RBI to lead the Fairland offense. Cummings was 2-3, Clark and Lapole each 1-2 and Fleming 1-4.

Joe Cremeans and Budd each went 1-2 and Perkins 1-3 to account for the Chesapeake hits.

Chesapeake 000 001 0 = 1 3 2

Fairland 021 102 x = 6 10 1

Mason Budd and Joe Cremeans. Nolan Fleming, Tanner Brown (4) and Josh Gillespie. W-Fleming (IP-7.0, H-3, R-0, ER-0, K-4, BB-1). Save-Brown (IP-3.2, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-7, BB-0). L-Budd (IP-6.0, H-10, R-6, ER-6, K-1, BB-3). Hitting–Chesapeake: Kaden Perkins 1-3, Mason Budd 1-2, Joe Cremeans 1-2, Peyton Muncy RBI; Fairland: Josh Gillespie 1-4, Chase Lapole 1-2, Nolan Fleming 1-4, Jack Chapman 2-3 2-2B 2-RBI, Mac Clark 1-2, Cyrus Cummings 2-3, Tanner Brown 2-3 2B 2-RBI.