Tigers beat Pointers behind 2-hit shutout from Ginger

IRONTON — If you ask Ironton head coach John Hunt what his favorite spice is, he’ll just grin and say, “Ginger.”

It was ginger that spiced up the Ironton Fighting Tigers on Friday as senior Ian Ginger threw a 2-hit shutout in a 9-0 Ohio Valley Conference win over the South Point Pointers.

Ginger gave up only a pair of singles as he struck out 8, walked one and threw just 81 pitches of which 59 were strikes.

“Ian pitched a really good game. He threw strikes and was around the plate the whole game,” said Hunt.

Ironton (7-0, 5-0) came out of the starting gate quickly as Bryson Kerns got a leadoff double, Tyler Roach reached on a missed third strike, and Braydon Baker hit a sacrifice fly and it was 1-0.

The Fighting Tigers got a pair of runs in the third for a 3-0 lead.

Baker singled, went to third base on a two-base error and scored on a passed ball.

Ginger then walked, Jacob Hughes singled him to third where he scored on a wild pitch.

Two more runs scored in the fourth inning.

Dawson Philyaw walked, Nick Sites hit into a fielder’s choice and scored on Kerns’ second double. Roach singled home Kerns.

Hughes walked and Carter Bridges had an RBI double as Ironton got a run in the fifth.

The final 3 runs scored in the sixth inning.

Kerns was hit by a pitch, Roach walked and Baker was safe on an error as Kerns scored. Roach stole home to make it 8-0 and the final run scored when Bridges was safe on an error.

Kerns led Ironton’s offense as he went 3-3 with two doubles and a run batted in.Hughes was 2-3, Bridges 1-3 with a double and RBI, Roach 1-3 and an RBI, Baker 1-3 with 2 RBI, Kleinman 1-4 an Philyaw 1-2.

Caesyn Pope was 2-3 as he singled in the second and seventh innings for the Pointers (2-7, 2-4).

South Point 000 000 0 = 0 2 3

Ironton 102 213 x = 9 10 3

Brayden Hanshaw, Ethan Layne (4), Caesyn Pope (6) and Kaden Layman. Ian Ginger and Jacob Hughes. W-Ginger (IP-7.0, H-2, R-0, K-8, BB-1). L-Hanshaw (IP-3.0, H-6, R-3, ER-2, K-3, BB-2). Layne (IP-2.0, H-4, R-5, ER-4, K-0, BB-3). Pope (IP-1.0, H0, R-1, ER-0, K-1, BB-0). Hitting-South Point: Caesyn Pope 2-3; Ironton: Bryson Kerns 3-3 RBI 2-2B, Tyler Roach 1-3 RBI, Braydon Baker 1-3 2-RBI, Tanne Kleinman 1-4, Jacob Hughes 2-3, Dawson Philyaw 1-2, Carter Bridges 1-3 RBI 2B.