Lady Hornets blank Portsmouth to clinch share of OVC title

COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Lady Hornets have their share. Now, they want it all.

The Lady Hornets used the 3-hit pitching of Abbie Deeds to blank the Portsmouth Lady Trojans 6-0 on Tuesday to earn at least a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title.

Coal Grove (14-3, 11-1) needs one win to clinch the title outright.

The Lady Hornets are scheduled to finish their game with Ironton on Thursday before playing South Point on Friday. The Lady Hornets lead Ironton 12-1 in the fourth inning.

Deeds struck out 11 and did not walk a batter in going the distance.

The game was scoreless until the Lady Hornets got a run in the fourth inning when Rylee Black led off the inning with a home run.

Coal Grove opened up some breathing room with 5 runs in the fifth inning.

Deeds walked, moved up on a ground out, stole third and scored on a hit by Izzy Kitts.

Black doubled home Kitts and then Mia Haynes and Kasey Vanderhoof followed with RBI doubles. Averie Myers capped the rally with an RBI single.

Black was 2-4 with a double, home run and 2 runs batted in as Coal Grove had 10 hits. Kitts was 2-4 with an RBI, Vanderhoof 2-3 with a double and RBI, Hitchcock 1-3 with a double, Myers 1-2 with an RBI, Haynes 1-4 with a double and RBI, and Taylor was 1-4.

Madison Boren went 3-3 with a double for Portsmouth (8-14, 6-7). Katie Ankrom pitched a complete game for the Lady Trojans as she gave up 6 earned runs, 10 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks.

Portsmouth 000 000 0 = 0 3 1

Coal Grove 000 150 x = 6 10 1

Katie Ankrom and Karlee Galloway. Abbie Deeds and Rylee Black. W-Deeds (IP-7.0, H-3, R-0, K-11, BB-0). L-Ankrom (IP-6.0, H-10, R-6, ER-6, K-3, BB-3). Hitting-Portsmouth: Madison Boren 3-3 2B; Coal Grove: Kendall Taylor 1-4, Izzy Kitts 2-4 RBI, Rylee Black 2-4 2-RBI 2B HR, Mia Haynes 1-4 RBI 2B, Kasey Vanderhoof 2-3 RBI 2B, Braelie Hitchcock 1-3 2B, Averie Myers 1-2 RBI.