Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The Ironton Fighting Tigers were up and down. Fortunately, they were on their way up at the end.
Ironton built a 5-1 lead early, then fell behind only to rally in the bottom of the seventh inning for an 8-7 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Coal Grove Hornets on Wednesday.
“We started out hot and Dane (Wilson) was throwing well, but then we lost some intensity. We picked it back up at the end,” said Ironton coach Red Burcham.
“They made a few plays and they hit the ball well late in the game but we clutched up at the end.”
Wilson had 12 strikeouts through the first five innings with one walk and four hits before tiring.
“It’s been a while since Dane’s thrown and he just ran out of gas,” said Burcham.
Ironton (3-1, 1-0) got three runs in the first inning.
Garrett Carrico walked, Kyle Kleinman singled and Gage Salyers had a two-out, two-run single. Brycen Thomas and Tanner Bowles walked to force in a run.
The lead went to 5-0 in the second when Carrico singled, Wilson had an RBI triple and Larry Morris got a run-scoring single.
Coal Grove (2-2, 1-1) got a run in the third when Jacob Clark single, stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch.
The Hornets got within 5-3 in the fourth when Dylan Malone and Jordan Case singled and Nate Harmon reached on an error.
Chase McKnight doubled and scored when Jeb Jones was safe on an error in the fifth and it was 5-4.
Ironton went up 6-4in the fifth on doubles by Salyers and Bowles.
Coal Grove scored three runs in the top of the seventh to lead 7-6.
With one out, McKnight singled, and Clark walked. After a strikeout, Jones singled for a run and Malone had a two-run double.
But Ironton answered the challenge with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Salyers led off with a double and went to third when Thomas had an infield single. Thomas stole second and Bowles drilled a two-run single to give Ironton the win.
“Every game Bowles seems to do something well,” said Burcham. “Gage Salyers is playing really well. He’s a competitor. But we played well and it was a good team effort. I’m proud of our guys.”
Salyers went 3-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Bowles was 2-3 with a double and Kleiman was 2-4.
McKnight and Malone each went 2-4 with a double.
Ironton hosts Cabell Midland on Thursday and visits Chesapeake on Friday. Coal Grove hosts Portsmouth Notre Dame on Thursday and Gallipolis on Friday.
Coal Grove    001    210    3    =    7    8    1
Ironton       320    010    2    =    8    11    2
Chase McKnight, Dylan Malone (3) and Jeb Jones. Dane Wilson, Larry Morris (6) and Brycen Thomas. W-Morris (K-1, BB-1). Wilson (IP-5.0, K-12, BB-1). L-Malone (K-6, BB-1). McKnight (IP-2.0, K-5, BB-2). Hitting-CG: Chase McKnight 2-4 2B, Jacob Clark 1-3, Jeb Jones 1-4, Dylan Malone 2-4 2B, Jordan Case 1-3; Ironton: Garrett Carrico 1-2 2-BB, Kyle Kleinman 2-4, Dane Wilson 1-3 3B, Larry Morris 1-4, Gage Salyers 3-4 2-2B 2-RBI, Brycen Thomas 1-3, Tanner Bowles 2-3 2B.