SOUTH POINT - Josh Sands might want to make the first inning his own personal mulligan.

Sands struggled in the first inning for the third straight game, but then settled down to pitch the Ironton Fighting Tigers to an 11-1 win in five innings over the South Point Pointers Tuesday.

After giving up the Pointers run and only two hits in the first inning, Sands retired 12 of the final 13 batters en route to the victory. He finished the game with nine strikeouts and two walks.

"Maybe they'll let me skip the first inning," Sands said jokingly. "That was the best velocity I've had (all season). I think the key for me is to just pitch, but with all the rain it's been hard to get a lot of work."

The Fighting Tigers offense remain on an upswing. They lost 11-10 to South Point on Monday to give Ironton a two-day total of 21 runs and 26 hits.

"We did a better job today. We did what we should have done last (Monday) night," Ironton coach Mark Lewis said. "We kept the bats going, but the pitching was strong from the outset and we did a better job defensively."

Ironton (6-5) scored in the top of the first inning when Kevin Williams doubled and Josh Adkins drove him home.

The Pointers (6-6) came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning.

With one out, Caleb Copley singled but was erased on a force play. A throwing error on the play sent Seth Craft to second. Craft went to third on a passed ball and scored on a hit by Corey Smoot.

The Fighting Tigers then exploded for eight runs in the second inning on just four hits. The uprising was aided by an error and five walks.

With one out, Ryan Walker walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and took third on Greg Linn's base hit. Sands, Williams and Adkins all walked to force home two runs.

Dennis Gagai singled home two runs and Nick Collins was safe on an error as a run scored. Brigham Waginger walked to load the bases, Patrick Kouns hit a sacrifice fly and Walker drilled a two-run single to cap the uprising.

The final two Ironton runs scored in the sixth.

Sands singled, moved up on a pair of passed balls and Williams doubled him home. Williams scored following two wild pitches.

Ironton18002-11111

South Point10000-121

Josh Sands and Dustin Preston. Tyler Staton, Adam McCarty (2) and Dale Kinney, Chris Chapman (5). W-Sands (9-K, 2-W, 0-ER). L-Staton (1-K, 6-W, 7-ER). 2B-Ironton: Kevin Williams, Josh Adkins. SB-Ironton: Josh Adkins, Brigham Waginger 2. Hitting-Ironton: Josh Sands 1-3, Kevin Williams 3-3 (2 rbi), Josh Adkins 2-3 (2 rbi), Dennis Gagai 1-4 (2 rbi), Brigham Waginger 1-2, Patrick Kouns 1-2 (rbi), Ryan Walker 1-2 (2 rbi), Greg Linn 1-2; South Point: Caleb Copley 1-2, Corey Smoot 1-2 (rbi).