By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WEST HAMILTON — The Ironton 8-10-year-old All-Stars were not very nice guests.

Playing the host West Hamilton All-Stars, Ironton got a 5-3 win to eliminate their opponent from the state tournament and advance to another game at 8 p.m. on Monday against the loser of Bellevue and East Holmes.

Ironton racked up 9 hits to back the pitching of Kayson Phillips with Crew Townsend nailing down the final out for the save.

Phillips went 5.2 innings allowing 9 hits and 3 runs with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Mason “Holt the Bolt” Holtzapfel went 3-3, Griffin Rowe was 2-3 with a double and Nash Sands 2-3 to pace the offense. T,A. Sands was 1-2 and Phillips 1-3.

Ironton took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Holtzapfel singled, moved up on a wild pitch, went to third on a hit by T.A. Sands and scored when Rowe grounded out,.

The lead went to 3-0 in the third inning.

With one out, Holtzapfel singled, moved to second on T.A. Sands ground out and scored on a hit by Phillips. A wild pitch scored the final run.

Ironton got what proved to be the winning runs in the fifth inning.

Jude Lucas got a walk, Brigham Compliment sacrificed Lucas to second and he scored on Holtzapfel’s third hit of the game.

Holtzapfel stole second and went to third on a wild pitch, T.A. Sands walked and attempted to steal second allowing Holtzapfel to score.

West Hamilton got all its runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Barker singled, Osborne hit into a force play, Clemens walked and Bolser got a bloop single to score Osborne. Phillips struck out the next batter but was forced to leave the game due to pitch count rules.

After an error allowed 2 runs to score, Townsend nailed down the win with a ground out to end the game.

Ironton     102 020 = 5 9 1

W. Hamilton 000 003 = 3 9 1

Kayson Phillips, Crew Townsend (6) and Brady Aldridge. Oakley Turner, Madden, 5) and Colt. W-Phillips (IP-5.2, H-9, R-3, K-5, BB-2). Save-Townsend (IP-0.1, H-0, R-0, K-0, BB-0). L-Turner (IP-4.0, H-6, R-3, K-6, BB-1, HBO-1). Madden (IP-2.0, H-3, R-2, K-1, BB-2). Hitting-Ironton: Mason Holtzapfel 3-3, Griffin Rowe 2-3 2B, Nash Sands 2-3, T.A. Sands 1-2, Kayson Phillips 1-3; West Hamilton: Bryce Baumann 2-2, Preston Baker 2-2, Colt 1-2, Walker Osborne 2-2, Micah Bolser 1-2, Lux 1-2.