RIO GRANDE - The formula worked so well on Monday, the Fairland Dragons used it again Thursday.

Mixing good pitching with clutch hitting and key defensive plays, Fairland beat the Federal Hocking Lancers 4-2 to win the Division III district championship, the Dragons first since 1972.

"McKnight pitched a nice ball game, we had some key hits again, and we made some nice catches," Fairland coach Roger Snyder said.

Fairland, 20-3, will play Bellaire at 2 p.m. Friday in the regional semifinals at Veterans Stadium in Chillicothe. The championship game is 1 p.m. next Saturday.

Cory McKnight and Michael Hill combined to limit the Lancers to just five hits. McKnight went 4.1 innings for the win as he struck out two and walked the only batter of the game. Hill got the save as he struck out two and did not walk a batter.

"Cory kept the ball down. If we made some plays defensively in the one inning, he would have finished the game. Michael came in and did a nice job getting them out," Snyder said.

After a scoreless first inning, the Dragons got a run in the second inning when Andy Pittman launched a one-out solo home run.

The lead went to 3-0 in the third inning.

McKnight singled with one out and came around to score on Hill's double. Matt Clark then singled home Hill.

The Lancers got a run in the fourth when Clint Sears reached on a dropped fly ball and scored on Nick Springer's base hit.

Federal Hocking closed to within 3-2 with a run in the top of the sixth.

Sears drew a one-out walk and went to second when Seth Olland was safe on an error. Aaron Rupe then reached on another error as Sears scored.

Fairland got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Zacc Russell, Josh Moore and Bo Adams all singled.

Moore was the only Fairland player with more than one hit as he went 2-3. Gandee was 2-3 for the Lancers (20-5).

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Zach Little, Brad Grimm (5) and Greg Poston. Cory McKnight, Michael Hill (5) and Adam Fuller. W-McKnight (2-K, 1-W). Save-Hill (2-K, 0-W). L-Little (1-K, 0-W). 2B-Fed. Hocking: Joel Gandee 2; Fairland: Michael Hill. HR-Fairland: Andy Pittman. Hitting-Federal Hocking: Zach Little 1-3, Jeremy Cundiff 1-3, Joel Gandee 2-3, Nick Springer 1-3; Fairland: Cory McKnight 1-3, Michael Hill 1-3, Matt Clark 1-3, Zacc Russell 1-3, Josh Moore 2-3, Andy Pittman 1-3, Bo Adams 1-3.