Spring Valley Timberwolves Drew Fannin and Ironton Fighting Tigers Mark Mains hooked up in a pitching battle Thursday before the T-Wolves emerged with a 4-3 win.

Friday, April 14, 2000

Spring Valley Timberwolves Drew Fannin and Ironton Fighting Tigers Mark Mains hooked up in a pitching battle Thursday before the T-Wolves emerged with a 4-3 win.

Fannin struck out eight, walked five, and gave up three hits in 5.2 innings for the win. Anthony Pulley went the final 1.1 innings to notch the save.

Mains suffered a second straight one-run loss for Ironton, now 5-2. Mains did not strike out a batter but only walked one in going the distance.

"Mark pitched well, but we just didn’t hit well," Ironton coach Mark Lewis said. "We were a little off our game and didn’t get ourselves going until the sixth inning, but that’s not an excuse. They just beat us and their pitchers did a nice job, too."

The Timberwolves broke the scoreless tie with two runs in the fourth on doubles by Kyle Smith and Aaron Billups and a base hit by Drew Bailey.

Two more runs scored in the fifth to make it 4-0.

Skyler Smith got an infield hit, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Kris Quate’s double. Kyle Smith followed with a run-scoring single.

Ironton rallied for its three runs in the sixth.

Matt Johnson opened the inning with a walk and an out later Drew Mains beat out an infield hit behind the third base bag.

Josh Harmon hit a hard ground ball up the middle on which T-Wolves shortstop Skyler Smith made a diving stop, but he was unable to throw out anyone and the bases were loaded.

Jon Sites lined a sacrifice fly to center field to score Johnson and Jimmy Peyton’s two-run single to center cut the deficit to one.

Pulley came on in relief and hit Mark Mains, but he got the next batter to pop out to second base and end the rally.

Ironton managed a walk to Tim McKnight in the seventh but could not capitalize.

"We battled all the way. Our guys never gave up, we just came up a little short," said Lewis.

The Fighting Tigers play at Raceland, Ky., Friday and travel to Coal Grove Monday.

Ironton 000 003 0 – 3 3 1

Spring Valley 000 220 x – 4 11 0

Mark Mains and Jon Sites. Drew Fannin, Anthony Pulley (6) and Kyle Smith. W-Fannin ((8-K, 5-W). L-Mains (0-K, 1-W). Save-Pulley (0-K, 1-W). HBP-by Pulley (Mark Mains). WP-Mains. 2B-Spring Valley: Kyle Smith, Aaron Billups, Kris Quate. SF-Ironton: Jon Sites. DP-Ironton 1. Hitting-Ironton: Drew Mains 1-4, Josh Harmon 1-3, Jimmy Peyton 1-2 (2 RBI); Spring Valley: Skyler Smith 2-4, Luke Huffman 1-3, Kris Quate 1-3, Kyle Smith 2-3, Aaron Billups 2-3, Drew Bailey 1-3, Anthony Pulley 1-1.