Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — There is a correlation. The pitching was good, so the results were good, too.
Three pitchers combined on a seven-hitter as the Coal Grove Hornets beat the Chesapeake Panthers 8-5 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.
Nate Harmon went three strong innings and Cory Bordes and Tait Matney finished up as the trio combined for 12 strikeouts and five walks.
“Harmon threw very well. He’s gave us three good innings. Borders and Matney did what they were supposed to do. Cory pitched well and got us out of some jams and Matney came in and shut the door,” said Hornets’ coach Blair Demetroules.
Each team got a run in the first.
Matney doubled to start the game, took third on a wild pitch and came home on wild pitch.
The Panthers got their run when Austin Browning beat out a bunt and went to second on a throwing error, took third on Trent Dearth’s sacrifice and came home on a hit by Thomas Sentz.
The Hornets (4-6, 2-4) then opened the game up with five runs in the third.
Christian Workman singled, Matney walked and Harmon had an RBI single. Kyle Sites was safe on an error to load the bases and Brady Doyle walked to force in a run.
After a force play at home, Sites scored on an error and Borders singled home a run. Evan Gannon walked and Malachi Wheeler hit into a force place to score a run.
Chesapeake got a run in the fourth to make it 6-2.
A.J. Litteral and Levi Best walked and the run came home after two wild pitches.
The Hornets got two more runs in the fifth.
Gannon walked, stole second and scored on Wheeler’s double. Matney followed with an RBI single.
The Panthers got those two runs back in the bottom of the inning.
Dearth was safe on an error and stole third. Sentz beat out an infield dribbler and the two pulled off a double steal for a run. Travis Grimm then singled home Sentz.
Chesapeake’s final run scored in the seventh.
Dearth walked, stole second and third and came, Grimm walked and Jonah Ridenour grounded out to drive in Dearth.
Borders went 3-4 as the Hornets had 10 hits. Harmon 2as 2-5 and Matney 2-4.
Sentz paced the Panthers by going 2-4.
Coal Grove 105 020 0 = 8 10 3
Chesapeake 100 120 1 = 5 7 5
Nate Harmon, Cory Borders (4), Tait Matney (6) and Ben Compliment. Austin Browning, Thomas Sentz (5), Trent Dearth (7), A.J. Litteral (7) and Jonah Ridenour. W-Harmon (IP-3.0, R-1, ER-0, H-4, K-6, BB-1). Borders (IP-2.0, H-2, ER-2, K-2, BB-2). Save-Matney (IP-2.0, H-1, R-1, K-4, BB-2). L-Browning (IP-4-0, H-6, R-6, ER-5, K-7, BB-4). Hitting-CG: Tait Matney 2-4, Nate Harmon 2-5, Kyle Sites 1-4, Cory Borders 3-4, Malachi Wheeler 1-3, Christian Workman 1-3; Chesy: Austin Browning 1-4, Trent Dearth 1-2, Thomas Sentz 2-4, Travis Grimm 1-2, D. Stevens 1-3, Levi Best 1-2.