Tigers beat Redmen; Clinch outright OVC title

IRONTON — The Ironton Fighting Tigers got a two-for-one deal.

Ironton beat the Rock Hill Redmen 7-2 on Monday in an Ohio Valley Conference game and they thought this got them close to winning the league title.

Instead, Ironton found out that the Portsmouth Trojans lost 6-4 to the Fairland Dragons which gave the Fighting Tigers the OVC baseball championship outright.

“I was surprised that Portsmouth has faltered these last few games,” said Ironton coach John Hunt. “I was proud to be able to tell the kids they won the OVC. This group has earned it.

“They are a talented group of athletes and focused on growth of athletes and focused on growth. With that mindset, success will follow.”

Ironton is now 15-2 on the season but more importantly improved to 12-1 in the conference. Portsmouth fell to 9-3 in the league.

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The Trojans are scheduled to play Gallipolis on Wednesday and then visit Ironton on Friday in what was expected to be a showdown for the league title.

Ironton used the combined pitching of Ian Ginger and Braydon Baker to limit Rock Hill to just 2 hits.

Ginger went 4 innings giving up the 2 hits, 2 unearned runs with 10 strikeouts and a walk. Baker finished and did not give up a hit or run while he walked a batter.

“Ginger struck out 10 of 12 hitters he faced, and then picked off a guy from first base. So, yeah, I’d say he did pretty well,” said Hunt.

“Baker came in and pitched well, too. (Tanner) Kleinman made some wonderful plays at third base as well.”

Rock Hill (5-12, 5-8) got a run in the top of the first inning to lead 1-0.

Dawson Lewis doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Drew Schug reached on a two-out error.

Ironton rallied to take the lead for good with 5 runs in the third inning.

Carson Freeman led off with a base hit and scored on a two-out triple by Ginger.

Jacob Hughes singled in a run, Baker and Carter Bridges singled to load the bases and Tanner Kleinman doubled home 2 runs with another run scoring on an error. Nick Sites reached on an error as the final run scored.

Ironton got a run in the fifth on a double by Baker and a single by Bridges.

The lead went to 7-2 in the sixth when Bryson Kerns walked, stole second and Tyler Roach singled.

The Redmen got a run in the fourth when Braylon McClellan reached on an error and scored when Carson Doolin was safe on a two-out error.

Bridges was 3-3 with an RBI to lead Ironton’s 10-hit attack. Baker was 2-3, Roach 1-4 with an RBI, Ginger 1-4 with a triple and RBI, Hughes 1-3 with an RBI, Kleinman 1-3 with a double and 2 RBI, Freeman 1-3.

Lewis was 1-4 with the double and Yaden Bailey 1-3 to account for Rock Hill’s hits.

Rock Hill 100 100 0 = 2 2 2

Ironton   005 011 x = 7 10 4

Dawson Lewis and Drew Schug. Ian Ginger, Braydon Baker, (5) and Jacob Hughes. W–Ginger (IP-4.0, H-2, R-2, ER-0, K-10, BB-1). Save–Baker (IP-3.0, H-0, R-0, K-0, BB-1). L–Lewis (IP-6.0, H-10, R-0, K-0, BB-1). Hitting–Rock Hill: Dawson Lewis 1-4 2B, Yaden Bailey 1-3; Ironton: Tyler Roach 1-4 RBI, Ian Ginger 1-4 RBI 3B, Jacob Hughes 1-3 RBI, Braydon Baker 2-3, Carter Bridges 3-3 RBI, Tanner Kleinman 1-3 2-RBI 2B, Carson Freeman 1-3.