In nine innings, the Fairland Dragons and pitcher Stuart Shepherd beat the Coal Grove Hornets and Jarred Keaton 3-2 Thursday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Friday, April 28, 2000

In nine innings, the Fairland Dragons and pitcher Stuart Shepherd beat the Coal Grove Hornets and Jarred Keaton 3-2 Thursday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

"We beat a pretty good pitcher in Keaton. The kids played well, Stuart pitched well, and we made some good plays," Fairland coach Roger Snyder said. "And Coal Grove’s kids played well. It was a good ball game."

Shepherd held Coal Grove to three hits, struck out six, and walked just one while throwing 95 pitches. The Hornets hit 24 ground balls among their outs and hits.

"Everything we hit was down," Hornets coach John Jones said. "It’s a good game to be a part of, but it’s tough to be on the losing end. Both pitchers threw well."

Keaton, who threw 115 pitches, struck out eight, walked five, hit two, and gave up only six hits.

Fairland got a run in the fourth when K. C. Jones walked, stole second, went to third on a throwing error, and came home on a squeeze bunt by Jeremy Louden.

Coal Grove took the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth.

Ryan Young beat out an infield hit, Ryan Brown was safe on an error, Josh Collins hit into a force play at third, Tim McClean singled to load the bases, Keaton singled in Brown, and Dean Mader hit a sacrifice fly.

Fairland tied the game in the bottom of the inning.

Tim Adkins was hit by a pitch, Jones put down a sacrifice bunt, Ryan Boso had an infield hit, and Louden put down another squeeze bunt.

The Dragons got the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Boso had a one-out single to left and went to second on an outfield error. Then with two outs, Kyle Leadmon singled to score Boso with the winning run.

Fairland, 8-3 and 4-2 in the OVC, plays Chesapeake Friday and Saturday. Coal Grove is 6-5 and 4-3 in the OVC.

Coal Grove 000 002 000 – 2 3 2

Fairland 001 000 101 – 3 6 1

Jarred Keaton and Dean Mader. Stuart Shepherd and Jarred Schneider. W-Shepherd (6-K, 1-W). L-Keaton (8-K, 5-W,2-HBP). 2B-Fairland: Josh Dunfee. Hitting-Coal Grove: Jarred Keaton 1-3,Tim McClean 1-4, Ryan Young 1-3; Fairland: Ryan Boso 2-4, Louden 1-3, Dunfee 2-3, Leadman 1-4.