By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — It’s showdown week No. 1.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers and Fairland Dragons were facing a pivotal game in the Ohio Valley Conference race on Wednesday with both teams needing to win.

This time it was Ironton coming out on top with a 10-6 win over the Dragons as the Fighting Tigers held onto their slim lead in the OVC  race.

Ironton is 9-1 on the season and sits atop the OVC at 7-0. The Fighting Tigers will host defending league champion and preseason favorite Portsmouth on Friday. The Trojans are 9-4 and 7-1 in the league.

Fairland is now 5-9 but 4-2 in the OVC. The Dragons still have a game to play with Portsmouth and Ironton.

Ironton built a 10-2 over the first 3 innings including 4-0 in the first inning.

Bryson Kerns singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Tyler Roach. Ian Ginger walked and Braydon Baker singled for a run. Jacob Hughes grounded out for a run and an error scored the final run.

The lead went to 9-0 in the top of the second inning.

Nick Sites was safe on an error, Kerns and Roach singled, Ginger walked, Baker reached on an error and Hughes doubled home a pair.

The Dragons got a run in the bottom of the inning on doubles by Luke Brown and Elias Blankenship.

The final Ironton run scored in the third when Kerns and Roach walked, Ginger singled  and a throwing error scored the run.

Fairland got a run of its own in the bottom of the inning on a single by Wyatt Thomas, a throwing error and a hit by Garrett Cornwell.

Fairland scored a pair of runs in the fifth to make it 10-4.

Thomas singled, went to third on a missed third strike as Ethan Wall reached base and Cornwell and Brown followed with base hits.

The Dragons final 2 runs scored the seventh with 2 outs when Brown singled, Elias Blankenship doubled and Josh Gillespie singled them home.

Ginger pitched a complete game to get the win. He gave up 11 hits, 4 earned runs, struck out 12 and walked one.

Baker was 2-4 with 4 RBI, Hughes 1-4 with 3 RBI and a double, Roach was 2-3, Kerns 2-4 and Ginger 1-2.

Brown went 3-4 with a double and an RBI, Cornwell was 2-4 with 2 RBI, Blankenship 2-4 with an RBI and a pair of doubles, Thomas 2-3, and Gillespie 1-4 and 2 RBI, all 1-4 with a double.

Ironton  451 000 0 = 10 8 2

Fairland 011 020 2 = 6 11 3

Ian Ginger and Ethan Sutton. Garrett Cornwell, Luke Brown (2) and Cyrus Cummings. W-Ginger (IP-7.0, H-11, R-6, ER-4, K-12, BB-1). L-Cornwell (IP-1.0, H-5, R-9, ER-5 K-0, BB-2). Brown (IP-6.0, H-3, R-1, ER-1, K-6, BB-4). Hitting-Ironton: Bryson Kerns 2-4, Tyler Roach 2-3 RBI, Ian Ginger 1-2, Braydon Baker 2-4 4-RBI, Jacob Hughes 1-4 3-RBI 2B; Fairland: Wyatt Thomas 2-3, Ethan Wall 1-4 2B, Garrett Cornwell 2-4 2-RBI, Luke Brown 3-4 RBI 2B, Elias Blankenship 2-4 RBI 2-2B, Josh Gillespie 1-4 2-RBI.