Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

SOUTH POINT — You should have seen the one that got away.
The South Point Pointers led 12-9 after 5 innings, but the Fairview Eagles got 3 runs in the sixth and erupted for 6 runs in the seventh inning to rally for an 18-12 win on Thursday.
“This game almost felt like a basketball game,” said Pointers’ coach Zach Jenkins. “They scored first, then we made a run, then they came back and then we extended the lead, and then they rallied to tie it and ultimately knock us off.
“A tip of the hat to them, though. They hit the ball up and down their order. My two senior pitchers battled tonight. They threw strikes and gave our defense a chance to make plays. Our hitting was a total 180 to what it has been through the first three games. Unfortunately, we kicked it around a couple of times in critical moments and it cost us.”
South Point (0-4) banged out 13 hits with Jordan Ermalovich swinging the big bat as he went 4-5 with a double and 2 runs batted in.
Brendan Dillon was 3-5 and 2 RBIs, and Zac Cline 2-3 with a double and 3 RBIs.
Fairview (3-1) had 13 hits with Bradly Adkins going 3-5 with a triple and 4 RBIs. Jaxon Manning was 2-5 with 3 RBIs, Jacob Claar 2-5 and 3 RBI and Chase Bradley 2-4 and an RBI.
The Pointers got a run in the first on hits by Dillon and Ermalovich and a sacrifice fly by Cline.
Fairview tied the game in the top of the second but the Pointers got 6 runs in the bottom of the inning.
Tanner Runyon walked, Xathan Haney was hit by a pitch, Gage Chapman singled, Dillon was safe on an error, and both Ermalovich and Cline doubled.
The Eagles got 5 runs in the third to get within 7-6 only to have the Pointers answer with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning.
Chapman walked, Dillon and Ermalovich singled for a run, Cline walked and Dawson singled in two.
The Eagles closed the gap to 10-9 in the fourth only to have the Pointers get 2 runs in the fifth on singles by Dillon and Ermalovich, Nakian Dawson’s RBI ground out and the final run scored when Levi Lawson reached on an error.
Fairview used a walk, a hit by Manning, an error and Adkins’s triple to tie the game in the sixth.
The Eagles got an error, a walk and four singles and a double by Crooks to score 6 times in the seventh.
The Pointers start Ohio Valley Conference play Monday at Gallipolis.
Fairview 015 303 6 = 18 13 3
South Point 163 020 0 = 12 13 4
Austin Miller, Jeremy Harper (2), Landon McDowell (6) and Landon McDowell, Gage Crooks (6). Hunter McCallister, Brendan Dillon (4) and Nakian Dawson. W-McDowell (IP-2.0, H-1, R-0, K-3). Miller (IP-1.1, h5, R-7, ER-5, BB-1). Harper (IP-3.2, H-7, R-5, ER-4, K-5, BB-4). L-Dillon (IP-4.0, H-7, R-10, ER-5, K-5, BB-3). McCallister (IP-3.0, H-6, R-8, ER-6, K-4, BB-3). Hitting-FHS: Jeremy Harper 1-2, Jaxon Manning 2-5 3-RBI, Gage Crooks 1-3 2-RBI 2B, Landon McDowell 1-3 2-RBI, Bradly Adkins 3-5 3B 4-RBI, Jacob Claar 2-5 3-RBI, Chase Bradley 2-4 RBI, Xavien Kouns 1-3 RBI; SP: Brendan Dillon 3-5 2-RBI, Jordan Ermalovich 4-5 2B 2-RBI, Zac Cline 2-3 2B 3-RBI, Nakian Dawson 1-4 3-RBI, Blaine Freeman 1-4, Tanner Runyon 1-3, Gage Chapman 1-2.