IRONTON — The Ironton Fighting Tigers like this thing called winning.
Ironton won their ninth game in the last 12 games with an 11-2 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Coal Grove Hornets on Wednesday.
Ironton banged out 10 hits and improved to 13-7 overall and 9-4 in the OVC on senior night.
Speaking of seniors, Fighting Tigers head coach Travis Wylie credited the seniors for the team’s success this season.
“Our seniors have been great leaders all season. They set the tone early and they have helped the younger guys push through. It’s a great group and they’ll be missed,” said Wylie of seniors Tommy Sheridan, Brady Moatz, Connor Kleinman, Jon Wylie and Chaydan Kerns.
Jon Wylie had off-season surgery and has been unable to play in the field or pitch this season. Wylie — who has signed with Xavier University — started the game on the mound and threw one pitch in a symbolic gesture and was then replaced by Sheridan.
Coal Grove got a run in the top of the first inning.
Landon Riley reached on an error leading off, Caden Turner was hit by a pitch with one out and Derik Bloomfield singled home Riley.
Sheridan retired the next 2 batters to end the rally.
Ironton tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Ian Ginger led off with a single, went to second on an error, took third on Moatz’s fly out and scored on Jon Wylie’s ground out.
The Fighting Tigers came back with 4 runs in the second inning to take a 5-1 lead.
Conner Kleinman was hit by a pitch, Tanner Kleinman and Braydon Baker walked and Sheridan had an RBI single.
An out later, Ginger hit a sacrifice fly for the lead. A wild pitch scored Tanner Kleineman, Moatz singled in a run to cap the rally.
The lead went to 7-1 in the third inning.
With one out, Conner Kleinman and Tanner Kleinman walked, moved up on a passed ball and a run scored on a wild pitch.
Baker was safe on an error as the second run scored.
The Fighting Tigers made it 9-1 in the fourth inning.
Tyler Roach led off with a base hit, Moatz and Kerns both walked with 2 outs and the runs scored on wild pitches.
Kerns signed with Kent State Tuscarawas University earlier in the day.
The Hornets (1-14, 1-10) scored in the sixth when Bloomfield was safe on an error, Austin Fraley singled, Leland McKnight was hit by a pitch and Wesley Runyon singled.
Ironton answered with 2 in the bottom of the inning.
Moatz singled, courtesy runner Bryson Kerns stole second and scored on a hit by Wylie.
Wylie went to second on an error, took third on a ground out and scored on Conner Kleinman’s base hit.
Moatz pitched the seventh for Ironton and retired the side in order including 2 strikeouts.
Moatz was 2-3 with an RBI, Wylie 1-4 with 2 RBI, Conner Kleinman 1-2 with an RBI, Sheridan 1-3 with an RBI, Ginger 1-4 with an RBI, Roach 1-2, and both Nick Sites and Jason Maddy were 1-1.
Coal Grove had 5 hits with Runyon 2-3 and an RBI, Bloomfield 1-3 with an RBI, Fraley 1-3 and Riley 1-4.
Ironton plays at Boyd County, Ky., on Thursday.
Coal Grove 100 001 0 = 2 5 3
Ironton 142 202 x = 11 10 2
Leland McKnight, Austin Fraley (5) and Derik Bloomfield. Jon Wylie, Tommy Sheridan (1), Connor Kleinman (5), Brady Moatz (7) and Brady Moatz, Ethan Sutton (7), W-Sheridan (IP-4.0, H-, R-1, ER-0, K-3, BB-0, HBP-1). Kleinman (IP-2.0, H-3, R-1, ER-0, K-2, BB-0, WP-1. HBP-1). Moatz (IP-1.0, H-0, R-0, K-2, BB-0). Wylie (IP-0.0 threw only one pitch). L-McKnight (IP-4.0, H-4, R-9, ER-6, K-2, BB-6, WP-5, HBP-1). Fraley (IP-2.0, H-6, R-2, ER-2, K-0, BB-1). Hitting-Coal Grove: Landon Riley 1-4, Derik Bloomfield 1-3 RBI, Austin Fraley 1-3, Wesley Runyon 2-3 RBI; Ironton: Ian Ginger 1-4 RBI, Brady Moatz 2-3 RBI, Jon Wylie 1-4 2-RBI, Conner Kleinman 1-2 RBI, Nick Sites 1-1, Braydon Baker 1-3, Tommy Sheridan 1-3 RBI, Tyler Roach 1-2, Jason Maddy 1-1.
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