Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Delaney Napier wasn’t a one-woman offensive machine, but she could easily have been the machine’s engine.
Napier went 4-for-4 with a double, a grand slam home run and seven runs batted in as the Coal Grove Lady Hornets downed the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers 18-7 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Wednesday.
Coal Grove had 16 hits and belted three home runs en route to the win. Winning pitcher Kasey Murphy and catcher Lauren Crum also hit home runs and Ali Waller was 4-4 and Amaya Waulk 3-4.
Two walks, an error and a couple of wild pitches gave Coal Grove a 2-0 first inning lead.
Khylee Keaton, Napier and Waller singled in the second, Murphy walked and Gracie Riley and Crum reached on errors as the Lady Hornets scored four times.
Coal Grove erupted for nine runs in the third inning to lead 15-0.
Keaton walked, Waulk and Waller walked to load the bases and Napier belted her grand slam.
Lauren Meyer and Murphy walked, Mckenzie Moore singled, Keaton was safe on an error, Waulk and Waller singled and Napier doubled.
Two more runs scored in the fourth when Meyer singled and Murphy homered.
Ironton (3-1, 0-1) got a run in the bottom of the inning when Riley Schreck walked, a wild pitch and Ruth Paholsky’s RBI single.
But Crum got the run back in the fifth with a home run.
The Lady Tigers scored six times in the bottom of the fifth.
Shay Cox walked, Taiya Hamlet singled, Haylee Stevens and Schreck walked, Kenzie Cremeens reached on an error, Paholsky walked, Aley Carmon singled for two runs, Cox walked again and Hamlet had another single.
Ironton visits Minford on Thursday and Chesapeake on Friday. Coal Grove hosts Gallipolis on Friday.
Coal Grove    249    21    =    18    16    2
Ironton       000    16    =    7    4    5
Kasey Murphy and Lauren Crum. Mary Beth Burton, Peighton Rowe (4) and Kenzie Cremeens. W-Burton (IP-3.2, K-2, BB-6, R-17, ER-10, H-13). P. Rowe (IP1.1, H-3, R-1, ER-1). L-Murphy (K-6, BB-8, ER-4). Hitting-CG: Lauren Meyer 1-3, Kasey Murphy 1-1 HR RBI, Lauren Crum 1-4 HR 3-RBI, Mckenzie Moore 1-4 RBI, Khylee Keaton 1-3, Amaya Waulk 3-4 RBI, Ali Waller 4-4, Delaney Napier 4-4 2B GS 7-RBI; Ironton: Ruth Paholsky 1-2, Demi Sands RBI, Aley Carmon 1-2 2-RBI, Haleigh Rowe RBI, Taiya Hamlet 2-3 RBI