Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

GALLIPOLIS — It’s the little things.
Errors, passed balls and wild pitches played big roles as the Fairland Dragons lost 5-3 to the Gallipolis Blue Devils in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.
Gallipolis built a 5-0 lead and then held on to win.
In the third, Trent Johnson and Colton Roe singled, moved up on a passed ball and Johnson scored on a wild pitch. Grant Bryan singled to score Johnson, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Beau Johnson’s sacrifice fly.
The Blue Devils got 2 more runs in the fourth inning.
Cole Hines and Trent Johnson both reached on errors, Roe singled and Bryan singled to drive in the second run.
The Dragons got on the scoreboard with a run in the sixth when Niko Kiritsy walked, went to second on a hit by Cooper Cummings went to third on a ground out and scored on a passed ball.
The Dragons tried to rally in the seventh but came up short as they scored just 2 runs.
Brycen Hunt led off with a single, Adam Marcum walked and Dacoda Chapman got an RBI single. Marcum scored on a balk but reliever Dalton Mershon got 3 fly balls to left field sandwiched around a hit by Cummings to end the game.
Roe went the first 6 innings for the win. He struck out 4, walked 4 and all 3 runs were earned. Mershon gave up the single in his inning of work.
Alex Rodgers went 4 innings and took the loss. Only 3 of the 5 runs he allowed were earned. He gave up 5 hits, struck out 3 and walked one.
Kiritsy went the final 2 innings and did not give up a hit, struck out 4 and walked one.
Chapman was 2-4 with a double and an RBI while Cummings was 2-4.
Fairland 000 001 2 = 3 9 2
Gallipolis 003 200 x = 5 7 1
Alex Rodgers, Niko Kiritsy (5) and Cooper Cummings. Colton Roe, Dalton Mershon (7) and Cole Hines. W-Roe (IP-6.0, H-8, R-3, ER-3, K-4, BB-4). Save-Mershon (IP-1.0, H-1). L-Rodgers (IP-4.0, H-7, R-5, ER-3, K-3, BB-1). Kiritsy (IP-2.0, K-4, BB-1). Hitting-FHS: Dacoda Chapman 2-4 2B RBI, Gavin Hunt 1-4, Niko Kiritsy 1-2, Cooper Cummings 2-4, Blake Trevathan 1-3, Brycen Hunt 1-3, Adam Marcum 1-2; Gallia: Grant Bryan 3-4 2-RBI, Zane Loveday 1-3, Trent Johnson 1-3, Colton Roe 2-3.