Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHESAPEAKE — One was close, the other was a run rule. Either way, the pitching was good.
Ryleigh Swann pitched a couple of five-hitters as the Chesapeake Lady Panthers beat the South Point Lady Pointers 3-2 on Wednesday and the Fairland Lady Dragons 15-3 on Thursday in a pair of Ohio Valley Conference games.
Swann struck out two and walked three against South Point and fanned one with no walks against Fairland.
“Swann pitched pretty well. She did what we asked her to do the last two games. She just throws strikes,” said Lady Panthers’ coach Aaron Rice.
Chesapeake went up 1-0 in the first inning against South Point.
Ashley Tackett walked, stole second and third and scored on Swann’s sacrifice fly.
The Lady Pointers tied the game in the second as Delaney Dickess walked and scored on an outfield error.
South Point took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
Taylor Estep walked, Kylee Ellison singled and Holly Ramey got a two-out RBI single.
But the Lady Panthers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Tackett doubled with one out and scored the tying run on a two-out double by Swann. Chloe Handley then singled in the winning run.
On Thursday, the Lady Panthers erupted for eight runs on six hits in the first inning and never looked back.
Spears, Swann, Handley and Samantha Heffner all had hits and Tackett had a pair of singles.
Chesapeake came back with three more runs in the third to lead 11-0.
Spears singled and Swann belted a two-run homer. Jordan Storms walked and Ericka Bowman had an RBI single.
The final four runs scored in the fourth.
Tackett walked, Spears hit into a force out, Swann singled and Storms hit into a fielder’s choice with all three runners safe.
Handley singled for two runs, Morgan Jones was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases and Kyrstin Medley had a two-run single.
Swann was 3-4 with a home run, Tackett and Spears 2-3 and Handley 2-4 as the Lady Panthers had 13 hits.
Wednesday’s Game
South Point 010 010 0 = 2 5 1
Chesapeake 100 020 x = 3 5 4
Holly Ramey and Taylor Estep. Ryleigh Swann and Katy Spears. W-Swann (K-2, BB-3). L-Ramey (K-4, BB-3). Hitting-SP: Kylee Ellison 1-3, Jill Aylsworth 1-4, Sara Allen 1-4, Holy Ramey 1-4, Megan Epperly 1-3; Chesy: Ashley Tackett 1-2 2B, Ryleigh Swann 1-2 2B 2-rbi, Chloe Handley 1-3 rbi, Ericka Bowman 1-2, Zowie Rollins 1-3.
Thursday’s Game
Fairland 000 30 = 3 5 4
Chesapeake 803 4x = 15 13 2
Mike Blake, Hollie Clark (3) and Hollie Clark, Cremeans (3). Ryleigh Swann and Katy Spears. W-Swann (K-1, BB-0). L-Blake. Hitting-FHS: Emily Bowen 1-3, Libby Judge 1-2, Blake 2-2, Olivia Burge 1-2: Chesy: Ashley Tackett 2-3, Katy Spears 2-3, Ryleigh Swann 3-4 HR, Chloe Handley 2-4, Ericka Bowman 1-4, Cheyenne Ferrell 1-3, Kyrstin Medley 1-1, Samantha Heffner 1-3.