COAL GROVE — The layoff due to the rain seemed to hurt the Coal Grove Hornets’ offense, but almost a two-year layoff didn’t bother pitcher Ryan Allen.

Allen, who missed last season with a knee injury, pitched for the first time since his sophomore year and went five strong innings as Coal Grove beat the River Valley Raiders 9-6 Monday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Allen struck out 12 and walked two in his stint. Alex Johnson went two innings for the save.

“That’s his first game he’s thrown in two years. He drove in two runs and pitched a good ball game,” said Hornets’ coach John Jones.

“The layoff hurt us a little bit, but I felt if we got people on we could get them in. The kids have confidence in themselves.”

Coal Grove went up 1-0 in the second inning when David Bridges singled, stole second and third, and Allen hit a sacrifice fly.

River Valley tied the game in the top of the third when Bland singled, stole second and Mulholland singled.

Coal Grove erupted for four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Roger Ramey was hit by a pitch, moved up on a fielder’s choice, and scored on Jake Murphy’s single.

Johnson walked, the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Taylor Dean singled home a run and Bridges doubled in two more.

The Raiders took a 6-5 lead in the fifth.

With one out Bland singled, Gibbs walked, and Mulholland had a run-scoring single. Curnutte walked and Caldwell doubled in two. An out later Chris Misner singled in two more.

But Coal Grove came right back in the bottom of the inning.

Zack Murphy and Johnson walked and pulled off a double steal. Dean doubled both runners home and then scored on a hit by Allen off the fence.

The Hornets added an insurance run in the sixth on a one-out solo home run by Oakie Haynes.

Coal Grove (2-0, 1-0) plays at Ashland, Ky. at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. River is now 0-4.

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Chris Misner, Curnutte (3), Mulholland (5) and Justice, Caldwell (1). Tyler Allen, Alex Johnson (6) and Taylor Dean. W-Allen (12-K, 2-BB). Save-Johnson (2-K, 2-BB). L-Curnutte (1-K, 2-BB). 2B-RV: Caldwell. CG: Tayor Dean, David Bridges. HR-CG: Oakie Haynes. Hitting-River Valley: Gibbs 2-3, Mulholland 2-4, Caldwell 1-3, Misner 1-3, Bland 2-3. Coal Grove: Jake Murphy 1-3, Taylor Dean 2-3, David Bridges 2-3, Tyler Allen 1-2, Oakie Haynes 1-3.