Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — Forget a pitcher’s duel. This was a hitter’s duel.
The Ironton Fighting Tigers rallied from three runs down to tie the game, then scored twice in the ninth inning to outscore the Chesapeake Panthers 10-9 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.
Ironton (6-11) had 13 hits with Garrett Carrico going 3-3 with a double and a run batted in and Gage Salyes who was 2-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
Gage Butler was 2-5 with an RBI, Brycen Thomas 2-4 and two RBI and Nolan Schreck 1-1 with two RBI for Ironton.
“Garrett and Salyers are hitting the ball well. Butler and Thomas are seeing it better, too,” said Ironton coach Travis Wylie.
“It was a slugfest and we kept battling until the final out. I’m proud of the way the team played tonight. We hope to carry this into the playoffs and play our best ball yet.”
The win went to freshman Ryan Ashley who worked the final five innings. Ashley gave up five hits, two earned runs, struck out two and walked four.
“Freshman Ryan Ashley was impressive on the mound. He just kept battling and getting the key outs,” said Wylie.
Chesapeake had 16 hits as Evan Burcham went 3-5 with a double and a solo home run. Bryce Depriest was 3-5 with three RBI, Bretton Martin was 2-4 with two RBI and Tyler Eddy 2-4 and an RBI.
The game was tied 8-8 after seven innings. After a scoreless eighth, Ironton got two runs in the top of the ninth with two outs.
Gage Butler walked, Carrico singled and Ethan Duncan walked to load the bases. Thomas singled a run and Tanner Bowles walked to force home what proved to be the winning run.
Chesapeake scored in the bottom of the inning on a double by Burcham and a single by Depriest with two outs, but Ashley got the next batter to ground out to first base to end the game.
The Panthers led 8-5 after five but Ironton tied the game in the sixth.
Butler got a two-out single, Carrico walked and Duncan singled to load the bases. Thomas walked to force in a run and Schreck came up with a clutch two-run single to tie the game.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to close out games,” said Panthers’ coach Justin Davis. “We put ourselves in a position to win, but we can’t close it out. And it’s not our pitching. It’s our defense.”
Chesapeake left 15 runners on base and Ironton had 14 left on base.
Ironton got a run in the top of the first when Salyers was hit by a pitch, Butler singled and Carrico doubled.
The Panthers came back with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Trent Dearth walked, Burcham singled, both moved up on a ground out and Depriest singled them home. Zach Wright and Tyler Eddy followed with singles for a run.
Ironton answered with three runs in the second to lead 4-3.
Thomas singled, Joel Blankenship reached on an error, Collin Freeman was hit by a pitch, Cameron Deere had an RBI single and Salyers delivered a two-run double.
The Panthers went up 5-4 with two runs in the third.
Depriest walked, Wright singled and Martin and Kellogg had run-scoring singles.
Burcham homered to begin the fourth and then Depriest and Wright singled, Eddy walked and Martin singled to make it 7-4.
Each team got a run in the fifth.
Ironton scored when Carrico singled, Duncan walked and Blankenship singled.
Chesapeake got its run when Dearth walked, went to second on a fly out and scored as Josh Hansen reached on an error.
On Wednesday, Ironton visits Oak Hill and Chesapeake hosts Nelsonville-York at 5 p.m. in the Division III sectional tournament.
Ironton 130 013 002 = 10 13 1
Chesapeake 302 210 001 = 9 16 2
Ethan Duncan, Collin Freeman (4), Ryan Ashley (5) and Brycen. Tyler Eddy, Trent Dearth (6), Bretton Martin (8) and Kelton Jones. W-Ashley (IP-5.0, H-5, R-2, ER-2, K-2, BB-4). Duncan (IP-3.0, H-7, R-5, ER-5, K-6, BB-4). Freeman (IP-1.0, H-4, R-2, ER-2, BB-1). L-Martin (IP-2.0, H-2, R-2, ER-2, K-2, BB-6). Eddy (IP-5.0, H-8, R-5, ER-4, K-1, BB-2). Dearth (IP-2.0, H-3, R-3, ER-3, K-1, BB-2). Hitting-Ironton: Gage Salyers 2-5 2-2B 2-rbi, Gage Butler 2-5 rbi, Garrett Carrico 3-3 2B rbi, Ethan Duncan 1-4, Brycen Thomas 2-4 2-rbi, Nolan Schreck 1-1 2-rbi, Joel Blankenship 1-6 rbi, Cameron Deere 1-5 rbi; CHS: Kelton Jones 1-4 rbi, Evan Burcham 3-5 2B HR rbi, Josh Hansen 1-6, Bryce Depriest 3-5 3-rbi, Zach Wright 3-5, Tyler Eddy 2-4 rbi, Bretton Martin 2-4 2-rbi, Kellogg 1-4 rbi.