CHESAPEAKE — Exhale.

After two contested games, Ironton managed to breathe a little easier Thursday as they beat the Chesapeake Panthers 13-2 in five innings.

Jonathan Williams pitched a three-hitter to get the win and Ironton banged out 12 hits. Williams struck out eight, did not walk a batter and hit one.

“Jonathan pitched a good game for us and we hit the ball pretty well up and down the lineup,” said Ironton coach Tobey Schreck.

“It was nice to play a game that didn’t have us on the edge of our seats to the very end.”

Darren Dalton and “Tractor” Taylor Barker were 2-3 to lead the Ironton offense. Ethan Preston was 2-4 including a double — the Fighting Tigers only extra base hit.

Shane Pelfrey, Les Counts and Tommy Noble had all of Chesapeake’s hits in the fourth inning when they scored their runs.

Preston, Dalton and Keith Wetzel all had hits and Josh Pancake reached on an error as Ironton took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Ironton got two runs in the second on a walk, two hit batsmen, a ground out and an error.

The Fighting Tigers erupted for eight runs in the fifth inning to bring the game to a premature end.

Chris Warner reached on an error, Barker, Howie Lucas and Anthony Harper all singled and Preston doubled to score four runs.

Dalton singled, Wetzel walked and Williams hit a sacrifice fly for two more runs and walks to Warner and Barker forced home the final two runs.

Ironton hosts Portsmouth at noon Saturday in a doubleheader.

Ironton 320 08 = 13 12 1

Chesapeake 000 20 = 2 3 6

Jonathan Williams and Darren Dalton. Skeens, Brandon Noble (2) and Trey Noble. W-Williams (8-K, 0-BB, 1-HBP). L-Skeens. 2B-Ironton: Ethan Preston. Hitting-Ironton: Ethan Preston 2-4, Darren Dalton 2-3, Keith Wetzel 1-1, Chris Warner 1-3, Tractor Taylor Barker 2-3, Howie Lucas 1-3, Anthony Harper 1-4; Chesapeake: Shane Pelfrey 1-2, Les Counts 1-2, Tommy Noble 1-2.