By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

CHESAPEAKE — The wins finally showed up.

The Coal Grove Hornets have come close to winning many times this season. Friday they grabbed the brass ring as they beat the Chesapeake Panthers 15-3 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“The kids have been getting better. It doesn’t always show up in the win column,” said Hornets’ coach Dean Mader. “Our seniors are stepping up late in the season. It’s nice to see their hard work paying off.”

The Hornets pounded out 18 hits with Jake Murphy going 4-5 with a double and a triple and Jared Eldridge 4-4. Cody Gool was 3-5 while Cody Pennington and Conor Markins were 2-5.

Hunter Bare and Kyle Heffner were 2-3 for the Panthers.

Murphy also got the win as he allowed seven hits, struck out 11 and walked one.

Coal Grove pushed across four runs in the first inning.

Gool and Murphy doubled for a run, Eldridge singled in a run and Markins singled. Levi Morris doubled to drive in two runs.

The Panthers scored twice in the bottom of the inning.

Simeon Combs was hit by a pitch, Mike Walters walked and Bare had a two-run double.

The Hornets got a run back in the second when Murphy singled and scored on a hit by Eldridge.

Coal Grove made it 6-2 in the top of the third on a hit by Garrett Myers and an error.

The Panthers got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Walters singled and Bare doubled.

Murphy singled and scored on another Eldridge hit as the Hornets got a run in the fourth. They added another run in the fifth when Gool doubled and Pennington singled.

Coal Grove blew the game open with seven runs in the sixth.

Eldridge walked, Markins singled and Myers had an RBI single. After a fielder’s choice, Mason Nance singled, Morris was safe on an error and Gool had an RBI single.

Pennington singled home a run and Murphy belted a triple to drive in a run. Murphy scored on an error.

Coal Grove (3-9, 1-7) hosts Fairview on Monday.

Coal Grove 411 117 = 15 18 1

Chesapeake 201 000 = 3 7 5

Jake Murphy and Jared Eldridge. Hunter Bare, Seth Skeens (6) and Tommy Noble. W-Murphy (K-11, BB-1, HBP-1). L-Bare. 2B-CG: Cody Gool 2, Jake Murphy, Levi Morris; Chesapeake: Hunter Bare. 3B-CG: Jake Murphy. Hitting-CG: Cody Gool 3-5, Cody Pennington 2-5, Jake Murphy 4-5, Jared Eldridge 4-4, Conor Markins 2-5, Garrett Myers 1-4, Mason Nance 1-3, Levi Morris 1-4; Chesapeake: Simeon Combs 1-3, Mike Walters 1-2, Hunter Bare 2-3, Kyle Heffner 2-3, Steve Zimmerman 1-1.