Shepherd turned in his best effort of the season Thursday as the Fairland Dragons beat the Rock Hill Redmen 9-1 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Friday, April 14, 2000

Shepherd turned in his best effort of the season Thursday as the Fairland Dragons beat the Rock Hill Redmen 9-1 in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Shepherd struck out 13 and did not walk a batter in going the distance. He allowed just four hits.

"Stuart was sharp tonight," Fairland coach Roger Snyder said. "He pitched a heck of a game and we played defense behind him. We played well. We played tonight like I expected us to play."

Fairland, 4-3 and 1-2, collected nine hits with Shepherd going 2-for-3 including a grand slam home run. J. W. Jones was 3-4.

Tyler Virgin was 2-3 for the Redmen.

The Dragons got off to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when J. W. Jones singled, K. C. Jones and Josh Dunfee had bunt singles, and Ryan Boso had a sacrifice fly.

Rock Hill tied the game in the fourth. Virgin reached on an error, J. D. Gore was safe on an error, and Tanner Heaberlin doubled.

But Fairland rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 5-1.

Jarrod Schneider walked, pinch-runner Toby Rice went to second when Boso singled, and Jeremy Louden put down a sacrifice bunt.

Toby Morrison’s fly ball was dropped as two more runs scored, Shepherd walked, and J. W. Jones had a two-run double.

Shepherd unloaded his grand slam in the sixth after Boso and Louden walked and Kyle Leadmon reached on an error to load the bases.

Monday in OVC game, Fairland hosts Chesapeake and Rock Hill entertains South Point.

Rock Hill 000 100 0 – 1 4 2

Fairland 010 404 x – 9 9 4

Steve Jenkins, Derek Malone (6) and David Martin. Stuart Shepherd and Jarrod Schneider, Tim Adkins (7). W-Shepherd (13-K, 0-W). L-Jenkins. 2B-RH: Tanner Heaberlin; Fairland: Jeremy Louden, J. W. Jones 2. HR-Fairland: Stuart Shepherd (GS). Hitting-Rock Hill: Tyler Virgin 2-3, Tanner Heaberlin 1-3, Stuart Shepherd 2-3 (4 RBI), J. W. Jones 3-4 (2 RBI), Ryan Boso 1-2, Louden 1-1, K. C. Jones 1-2, Josh Dunfee 1-3.