Baker's pitching 'rains' supreme as Tigers blank Senators in opening round

PEDRO — “Can you hear me?

That when it rains and shines

It’s just a state of mind

Can you hear me?

Can you hear me”

— Rain by The Beatles

While the rain fell and caused some throwing errors, the Ironton Fighting Tigers fought through the weather, and used the two-hit pitching of Braydon Baker to blank the Portsmouth West Senators 4-0 in the Division 5 district semifinals on Friday.

“We had a few miscues, but our kids are mentally tough and can put things behind them and keep on plugging,” said Ironton coach John Hunt.

“The rain made for a few bad throws from a wet ball, but it stopped for most of our game.”

Baker struck out 13 and walked just one in going the distance as he threw 80 strikes among his 111 pitches.

“We hit the ball hard the whole game but just right at guys,” said Hunt. “And Baker pitched a heck of a game.”

Ironton will play Zane Trace on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Stadium in Chillicothe.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Ironton scored three runs.

With one out, Baker and Bryson Kerns both singled and moved up on an overthrow. Jacob Hughes walked to load the bases with two outs.

Dawson Philyaw walked to force home the first run of the game and Carter Bridges doubled home two more.

Ironton added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Owen Gallion drew a one-out walk, Kerns was hit by a pitch and Ethan Sutton got an RBI single.

The Fighting Tigers had 8 hits as Tanner Kleinman went 2-3 with a double, Kerns 2-3, Ethan Sutton 2-4 with an RBI. Bridges was 1-3 with a double and 2 RBI, Baker 1-3, and Philyaw had an RBI.

Owen Richards was 1-2 and Levi Pickelsimer 1-3 for West (8-17).

Ports. West 000 000 0 = 0 2 1

Ironton 000 031 x = 4 8 6

Levi Pickelsimer, Isaak Tipton (6) and Will Kegley. Braydon Baker and Ethan Sutton. W-Baker (IP-IP-7.0, H-2, R-0, ER-0, K-13, BB-1). L-Pickelsimer (IP-5.2, H-8, R-4, ER-4, K-3, BB-4). Tipton (IP-0.1, H-0, R-0, ER-0, K-0, BB-0). Hitting–Portsmouth West: Levi Pickelsimer 1-3, Owen Richards 1-2; Ironton: Braydon Baker 1-3, Bryson Kerns 2-3, Ethan Sutton 2-4 RBI, Dawson Philyaw RBI, Carter Bridges 1-3 2B 2-RBI, Tanner Kleinman 2-3 2B.