WELLSTON - That explosion Saturday afternoon wasn't any bomb. The destruction left by the Ironton Fighting Tiger bats only made it seem that way.

Ironton put together its biggest offensive output of the season with 19 hits en route to an 18-0 shellacking of the Wellston Golden Rockets.

"We're starting to hit the ball more consistently," Ironton coach Mark Lewis said. "The last two games we've swung the bats pretty well. Hopefully it'll call carry over into next week."

Eleven different players collected hits including eight with two hits.

Catcher Dustin Preston was 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs batted in. Chris Rakes, Dennis Gagai, Patrick Kouns and Ryan Walker all went 2-for-3, and Brigham Waginger and Chad Miller were 2-for-4.

Off the bench, Troy Allen was 2-2 while J.J. Johnson and Tanner Reed went 1-1.

The big offensive showing was only part of the story. Ironton's pitching was equal to the challenge.

Greg Linn pitched a two-hit shutout as he struck out seven and did not walk a batter in working the five-inning mercy rule win.

"I felt good. My arm felt good. My breaking ball was working really well," Linn said.

Zach Haynes doubled and Robert Johnson singled for Wellston (7-7).

The Fighting Tigers (4-5) wasted little time setting the tone for the game with three runs in the first inning.

Waginger walked and scored on a double by Rakes who stole third and scored on a single by Gagai. A balk, a stolen base and a wild pitch scored Gagai.

The lead went to 4-0 in the second inning when Waginger got an infield hit, stole second, and came all the way home on a wild pitch.

Ironton exploded for nine runs in the third inning.

Gagai was safe on an error, moved to second base on a balk and scored when Preston singled. Kouns and Walker singled to load the bases and Miller spanked a two-run single.

An out later, Waginger hit into a force play at third base but Rakes singled to reload the bases. Josh Adkins struck out, but the ball got away from the catcher allowed a run to score. Gagai tripled the two runners home and Preston slugged a two-run homer to cap the uprising.

In the fourth, T.J. Keith singled, Waginger got a hit of the third baseman's glove, Allen singled to load the bases, Jeff Waginger walked to force in a run and Reed doubled home a pair.

The final two runs scored in the fifth inning.

T.J. Jewell reached on an error, Miller singled hard off the pitcher's glove, Keith hit into a force play at second base, and Johnson singled in a run. Allen followed with a two-run single.

Ironton plays at Raceland, Ky. Monday.

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Wellston00000=024

Greg Linn and Dustin Preston. Chris Comer, Corey Mahley (4), Tyler Gill (5) and Ryan Collins. W-Linn (7-K, 0-W). L-Comer. Balk-Comer 2. PB-Collins. WP-Comer 3. SB-Ironton: Brigham Waginger, Dennis Gagai, Chris Rakes. 2B-Ironton: Chris Rakes, Tanner Reed; Wellston: Zach Haynes. 3B-Ironton: Dennis Gagai. HR-Ironton: Dustin Preston. Hitting-Ironton: Brigham Waginger 2-4, Chris Rakes 2-3 (2 RBI), Dennis Gagai 2-3 (2 RBI), Dustin Preston 2-3 (3 RBI), Patrick Kouns 2-3, Ryan Walker 2-3, Chad Miller 2-4 (2 RBI), T.J. Keith 1-4, J.J. Johnson 1-1 (RBI), Troy Allen 2-2 (RBI), Jeff Waginger RBI, Tanner Reed 1-1 (2 RBI), T.J. Jewell run; Wellston: Zach Haynes 1-2, Robert Johnson 1-2.