PORTSMOUTH – Sometimes things don’t go as they should. Just ask the Ironton Fighting Tigers.

Ironton out-hit Portsmouth 12-6 but still suffered a 4-2 loss to the Trojans Friday in a Southeastern Ohio Athletic League South Division game.

“I told coach John (Hunt) before the game that if we held them to five runs we’d win. We held them to four and lost,” Ironton coach Tobey Schreck said.

“If you had told me we would get 12 hits, I would have thought we would have scored at least 8 eight runs.”

Ironton took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

With one out, T.J. Keith singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Tanner Reed who was 3-3 on the day.

Nick Lewis and Jeremy Moore followed with base hits as Reed scored.

But eight hits, a walk and three Portsmouth errors still could’t produce any more runs.

“We had our chances,” Schreck said.

Portsmouth got a run in the third inning on a double by Cody Colley, a balk and a ground out by John Harcha.

The Trojans took the lead with two runs in the fourth.

Howard Harcha singled, Matt Harcha walked and both moved up on a ground out. Colley singled for a run and when he stole second base, Matt Harcha came home on the throw to second base.

Portsmouth added an insurance run in the sixth when Shane Porter singled, stole second and Colley singled.

Howie Lucas took the loss. He struck out nine, walked four and hit a batter.

“Howie pitched well. He deserved a better fate,” Schreck said.

Ironton fell to 6-8 on the season and 5-4 in the SEOAL South. Teams in the division each picked up a win this week when Chillicothe revealed it had used an ineligible player and was forced to forfeit several games.

Portsmouth (7-8, 5-4) was led by Colley who was 3-3 and his first-ever double.

Ironton hosts Chillicothe Monday in the completion of a 7-7 suspended game followed by the regularly scheduled contest.

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Howie Lucas and Tanner Reed. John Harcha and Howard Harcha. W-J. Harcha (4-K, 1-BB, 1-ER). L-Lucas (9-K, 4-BB, 1-HBP, 4-ER). 2B-Ironton: Chad Miller; Portsmouth: Cody Colley. Hitting-Ironton: Chad Miller 1-4, T.J. Keith 1-4, Tanner Reed 3-4, Nick Lewis 2-3, Jeremy Moore 1-3, Wes Runyon 1-3, Josh Pancake 2-3, Byron Brammer 1-3; Portsmouth: A.J. Arrowood 1-2, Howard Harcha 1-2, Shane Porter 1-2, Cody Colley 3-3.