By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PORTSMOUTH — it was a battle for first place and it turned out to be a battle.

Luke Cassidy pitched a 2-hitter as the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans edged the St. Joseph Flyers 4-2 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Tuesday.

Cassidy struck out 16 and walked 2 in going the distance as the Titans improved to 7-3 and 5-0 in the SOC. The Flyers are now 8-2 and 6-1 in the league.

“We couldn’t get the leadoff guy on where we could do anything. We couldn’t string anything together,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant.

“The Cassidy kid is pretty tough. He’s the best pitcher we’ve seen. We made some good contact at times but right at them.”

After a scoreless first inning, the Titans pushed across a run in the second.

Myles Phillips walked, stole second and came home when Brody Coleman singled.

The Titans made it 2-0 in the third inning.

Dylan Seison led off with a base hit, Reagan Lester and Luke Cassidy walked and Alex Cassidy was hit by a pitch to force in the run.

Notre Dame got what proved to be the winning runs in the fifth.

Alex Cassidy had a leadoff double, moved up on a passed ball and scored when Ethan Kingrey singled.

Kingrey stole second, went to third on a passed ball and score on Wyatt Webb’s bunt single.

St. Joseph got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth when Brady “Quinn” Medinger reached on an error, stole second and third bases and scored on Landon Rowe’s ground out.

The Flyers got a run in the seventh when Jake Stephens reached on an error, stole second and scored when Medinger got a 2-out double.

Stephens took the loss for the Flyers as he went the first 4 innings allowing just 2 earned runs on only 2 hits while striking out 6 and walking 4.

St. Joseph 000 001 1 = 2 2 1

Notre Dame 011 020 x = 4 6 3

Jake Stephens, Drew Brown (5), Wesley Neal (5) and Wesley Neal, Jake Stehens (5). Luke Cassidy and Reagan Lester. W-Cassidy (IP-7.0, H-2, R-2, ER-0, K-16, BB-2. L-Stephens (IP-4.0, H-2, R-2, ER-2, K-6, BB-4, HBP-3). Brown (IP-0.1, H-4, R-2, ER-2, K-0, BB-1). Neal (IP-1.2, H-0, R-0, K-0, BB-0). Hitting-St. Joseph: Kai Coleman 1-3, Brady “Quinn” Medinger 1-3 2B RBI; Notre Dame: Dylan Seison 1-3, Alex Cassidy 1-3 2B RBI, Ethan Kingrey 1-3 RBI, Brody Coleman 2-3 RBI, Wyatt Webb 1-1 RBI.