Lady Tigers clinch OVC title with 7th inning rally

IRONTON — It was gut check time and the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers were up to the challenge.

Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Ironton scored 3 times and slipped past the South Point Lady Pointers 6-5 to clinch the Ohio Valley Conference softball title.

Ironton is 15-6 on the season and clinches the title with a 1-0 record. Ironton holds a 3-game lead over South Point with only two league games to play.

South Point is now 16-7 and 9-3 in the OVC.

Ava Bihl got the win as she racked up 14 strikeouts, walked 3, gave up 8 hits and 5 earned runs.

Kota Copley took the loss as she allowed 6 hits, 6 runs with 2 earned, 3 strikeouts and 3 walks. The Lady Pointers were plagued by 7 errors.

Kenley Neal was 1-3 with a home run, Olivia Neal 2-3 with a double, Ava Bihl was 1-3 while Miley Bias and Ryleigh Kouns each went 1-3 with an RBI.

The Copley sisters did most of the damage. Kota Copley was 4-4 with a triple and 2 runs batted in, Adyson Copley was 3-4 with a double a home run and 3 RBIs.

South Point 120  020  0  =  5  8  7

Ironton 100  200  3  =  6  6  0

Kota Copley and Natilyn Spears. Ava Bihl and Jenna Compliment. W-Bihl (IP-7.0, H-8, R-5, ER-5, K-14, BB-3). L-Copley (IP-6.0, H-6, R-6, ER-2, K-3, BB-3). Hitting–South Point: Kota Copley 4-4 3B 2-RBI, Adyson Copley 3-4 2B HR 3-RBI, Raygen Yates 1-4; Ironton: Miley Bias 1-3 RBI, Kenley Neal 1-3 HR RBI, Olivia Wilson 2-3 2B, Ava Bihl 1-3, Ryleigh Kouns 1-3 RBI.