Ironton’s bats come alive in rout of Lions

Published 9:56 pm Saturday, March 30, 2024

By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The alarm in the Ironton bat rack finally rang.

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Ironton’s bats woke up and came alive on Friday as the Fighting Tigers pounded out an 11-1 run-rule win over the Lewis County Lions.

Ironton had 16 hits led by Brady Moatz who was 3-3 with an RBI, Braydon Baker who was 3-3 with a double, and Chaydan Kerns who was 2-3 with a double and RBI.

Jon Wylie went 2-3 in his first game since his surgery, Ian Ginger was 2-4, Jayson Maddy 1-1 with an RBI, Nick Sites 1-2 with 2 RBI, Tyler Roach 1-2 with an RBI and Connor Kleinman 1-4 with an RBI.

The offensive output backed the 3-hit pitching of Giant and Tanner Kleinman who limited the Lions to 3 hits. Ginger worked 3.2 innings giving up 2 hits, an earned run, with 7 strikeouts and 6 walks. Kleinman finished giving up one hit with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Ironton took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on singles by Ginger and Moatz and a double by Kerns.

The Fighting Tigers (3-1) made it 5-0 in the second inning.

Baker singled, Tommy Sheridan put down a sacrifice, Roach walked and Connor Kleinman singled in a run.

After a double steal scored a run, Wylie beat out an infield hit and an error on the play scored Kleinman.

Wylie stole second and Ginger singled him home.

Lewis County (5-4) got its only run in the top of the third when Ginger suffered a moment of control problems and walked 4 batters to force home a run.

But Ironton got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a double by Baker and a single by Roach.

The Fighting Tigers opened up a 10-1 lead with 4 runs in the fourth.

Wylie doubled and scored on a hit by Moatz. Kerns singled and Baker got an infield hit to load the bases. Sites singled home 2 runs and Roach reached on a misplayed fly ball allowing a run to score.

Ironton ended the game with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

Dawson Philyaw led off with a walk, Ginger reached on an error, Moatz walked and Maddy singled home Philyaw.

Lewis Co. 001 00 = 1 3 3

Ironton     141 41 = 11 16 0

Zane Smyke, Waylon Reeder (4) and Colton Tackett. Ian Ginger, Tanner Kleinman (4) and Brady Moatz. W-Ginger (IP-3.2, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-7, BB-6). Kleinman (IP-1.1, H-1, R-0, K-2, BB-2). L-Smyke (IP-3.0, H-11, R-7, ER-7, K-0, BB-1, WP-1). Reeder (IP-1.0, H-5, R-4, ER-2, K-1, BB-2). Hitting-Lewis County: Kyran Ferguson 2-2, Xavier Prater 1-3; Ironton: Connor Kleinman 1-4 RBI, Jon Wylie 2-3, Ian Ginger 2-4 RBI, Brady Moatz 3-3 RBI, Chaydan Kerns 2-3 2B RBI, Jayson Maddy 1-1 RBI, Braydon Baker 3-3 2B, Nick Sites 1-1 2-RBI, Tyler Roach 1-2 RBI.