Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — The Coal Grove Hornets climbed back into the Ohio Valley Conference race.
The Hornets handed the South Point Pointers their first loss of the season with an 8-4 win on Friday.
Coal Grove is now 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the OVC. South Point goes to 8-1 and 5-1.
Sam Angelo pitched a five-hitter for his first win of the season. He struck out seven, walked two and only two runs were earned.
“Sam threw a really well. That’s a pretty good first career start against a good team,” said Hornets’ coach Dean Mader. “That’s a big win for us. Now everyone in the league has a loss.”
Travis Dillon took the loss as he tossed a complete game. He struck out seven, walked two and allowed four earned runs.
Coal Grove took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Angelo singled, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a hit by Darin Bloomfield.
South Point came right back to tie the game with a run in the second.
Jonathan Henline reached on an error, Drake McClure put down a sacrifice, Ben Walls walked and Drew Smith had an RBI single.
The Pointers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth when Henline reached on a two-base error, McClure sacrifice and Walls hit a sacrifice fly.
But Coal Grove answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good at 5-2.
Ben Compliment and Zack Landers both reached on errors and Brady Doyle had an RBI single. Evan Gannon singled and an error on the play scored Landers.
Tait Matney was safe on an error and Jordan Case and Angelo both followed with base hits.
The Hornets added three more runs in the fifth inning.
Compliment led off with a double and Cory Borders and Gannon singled for a run. Matney walked and Case had a two-run double.
South Point got two runs in the sixth on a walked to McClure, a double by Walls and a two-run single by Smith.
Coal Grove had 12 hits with Case going 2-4 with a double and three runs batted in. Bloomfield was 2-4 with a double an RBI, Compliment was 2-4 with a double and Angelo 2-4 with an RBI.
Smith went 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead the Pointers.
The two teams meet at South Point on Monday.
South Point    010    102    0    =    4    5    3
Coal Grove    100    430    x    =    8    12    4
Travis Dillon and Drake McClure. Sam Angelo and Jeb Jones. W-Angelo (K-7, BB-2, ER-2. L-Dillon (K-7, BB-2, ER-4). Hitting-SP: Travis Dillon 1-4, Ben Walls 1-1 2B rbi, Drew Smith 2-3 3-rbi, Dawson Runyon 1-3; CG: Jordan Case 2-4 2B 3-rbi, Sam Angelo 2-4, rbi, Darin Bloomfield 2-4 2B rbi, Ben Compliment 2-4 2B, Brady Doyle 1-1, Cory Borders 1-1, Evan Gannon 2-3 2-rbi.