Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — For Sam Angelo, it wasn’t how you start but how you finish.
Angelo shook off a shaky first inning and went on to pitch the Coal Grove Hornets to an 8-6 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Gallipolis Blue Devils on Tuesday.
“Sam struggled with his control at first but he got in a groove and pitched well,” said Hornets’ coach Dean Mader. “The bottom of our lineup hit the ball well. It was a good team effort.”
Angelo struck out six and walked five — three in the first inning — as he went the distance for the win.
Gallipolis took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Wyatt Sipple doubled, moved up on a passed ball and scored on Braden Simms’ ground out.
Josh Faro, Matt Moreaux, Morgan Stanley and Dylan Smith all walked to force in a run and Cole Davis had an RBI single.
Coal Grove came right back in the bottom of the inning to score six times.
With two outs, Jeb Jones, Darin Bloomfield and Ben Compliment all walked, Nate Harmon reached on an error for as three runs scored, Evan Gannon singled in Harmon, Cory Borders reached on an error and Tait Matney and Jordan Case singled.
The Blue Devils got a run in the top of the third when Morgan Stanley reached on an error, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.
But the Hornets scored twice in the bottom of the inning to lead 8-4.
Gannon singled, Borders walked, Angelo had an RBI single and a wild pitch scored a run.
Gallipolis got a run in the fourth on singles by Dakota Young, Sipple and Simms and Faro hit a sacrifice fly.
The Blue Devils final run scored in the seventh when Stanley walked and Andrew Toler doubled.
Gannon went 3-4 and Angelo 2-4 as Coal Grove had nine hits.
Gallipolis also had nine hits with Simms 2-4 and Young 2-3.
Gallipolis 301 100 1 = 6 9 5
Coal Grove 602 000 x = 8 9 3
Kaden Thomas, Braden Simms (3), Cole Davis (5) and Morgan Stanley. Sam Angelo and Ben Compliment. W-Angelo (K-6, BB-5, ER-4). L-Thomas (IP-2.3, H-6, R-8, ER-2, K-2, BB-4). Hitting-Gallia: Wyatt Sipple 1-2 2B, Adam Sickels 1-2, Braden Simms 2-4 rbi, Josh Faro 1-2 rbi, Andrew Toler 1-2 2B, Cole Davis 1-4 rbi, Dakota Young 2-3; CG: Jordan Case 1-4 rbi, Sam Angelo 2-4 rbi, Ben Compliment 1-3, Nate Harmon 1-4 rbi, Evan Gannon 3-4 rbi, Tait Matney 1-3 rbi.