The Coal Grove Hornets kept their Ohio Valley Conference title hopes alive with a 7-2 win over the Chesapeake Panthers Wednesday.

Thursday, May 04, 2000

The Coal Grove Hornets kept their Ohio Valley Conference title hopes alive with a 7-2 win over the Chesapeake Panthers Wednesday.

Coal Grove and Fairland are both 6-4 in the OVC. South Point finished its OVC play at 8-4 with a win over Fairland Wednesday.

The Hornets play at Fairland Thursday in the Division III sectional tournament. The two teams also meet in their final two league games.

"It was a good win, but we’ve got two more steps. It’s in our hands," Hornets coach John Jones said.

Chesapeake is 6-11 and 5-5 in the league, thus eliminating the Panthers from the race. Chesapeake has a regular game and the completion of a suspended game Friday at Rock Hill.

Jarrod Keaton and Eric Tackett combined on a seven-hitter for the Hornets (8-6). Keaton fanned five and walked one while Tackett had one strikeout and one walk. Despite the loss, Zeb Best pitched well as he struck out 10, walked three, and gave up seven hits.

Coal Grove jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second.

Dave Webb walked, Josh Keaton had a hit-and-run single, and Scott Lewis reached on an infield hit as Webb scored. Ryan Brown reached on error to score Keaton, and Tim McClean had a two-out, two-run single to cap the rally.

Chesapeake got a run in the third.

Adam Pemberton singled, moved to second on a passed ball, took third on Joey Macri’s infield hit, and scored when Andy Clark reached on a fielder’s choice.

The Panthers closed the gap to 4-2 with a run in the fourth as Noah Phillips doubled and Greg Lambert smacked a two-out RBI single.

But the Hornets got a run back in the fifth.

McClean singled, Jarred Keaton walked, and Dean Mader delivered a run-scoring single.

Coal Grove’s final two runs scored in the sixth.

Josh Fields singled and Webb walked to start the inning. Fields and Brown, who re-entered for Webb, pulled off a double steal, and scored when Josh Collins doubled.

Chesapeake 001 100 0 – 2 7 1

Coal Grove 040 012 x – 7 7 1

Zeb Best and Greg Lambert. Jarrod Keaton, Eric Tackett (5) and Dean Mader. W-Keaton (5-K, 1-W). L-Best (10-K, 3-W). Save-Tackett (1-K, 1-W). 2B-Chesy: Joey Macri, Noah Phillips; Coal Grove: Josh Collins. Hitting-Chesy: Adam Pemberton 1-4, Macri 3-4, Phillips 2-3, Lambert 1-3; Coal Grove: Josh Collins 2-4 (2 RBI), McClean 2-3 (2 RBI), Mader 1-3 (RBI), Josh Keaton 1-3, Scott Lewis 1-2 (RBI), Josh Fields 1-1.