Fighting Tigers waste Miller#039;s performance as Pointers rally

Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 31, 2005

The Ironton Fighting Tigers could get fined for this kind of waste.

Ironton pitcher Chad Miller struck out 13 batters, did not allow a walk, gave up just four hits and no earned runs but the Fighting Tigers wasted the performance as the South Point Pointers rallied for a 2-1 win Wednesday.

"Any time you get a game like Chad pitched, you should win," Ironton coach Mark Lewis said. "We got great pitching but we made a couple of errors and we didn't get the clutch hit when we needed it."

Email newsletter signup

The Fighting Tigers (0-2) left 12 runners on base including eight in scoring position.

After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, Ironton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Ryan Walker singled up the middle, Brigham Waginger reached on an error, and Chris Rakes put down a sacrifice bunt. An out later, T.J. Keith was safe on an error as Walker scored.

South Point (1-1) had only one runner reach second base through the six innings. But two Ironton errors helped fuel the Pointers winning rally in the seventh.

With two outs, Corey Smoot got his third hit with a single. Dale Kinney hit a slow roller toward third that went for an infield hit and Smoot went to third when the throw to first base hit Kinney in the foot.

Kinney stole second to put runners at second and third and then Tyler Wells hit a fly ball that was misplayed into a two-base error as both runners scored.

Smoot was 3-for-3 for the Pointers. Justin Smith worked the final three innings to get the win.

Miller was 2-for-3 and Walker 2-for-4 to lead Ironton.

South Point0000002=244

Ironton0100000=163

Adam McCarty, Chase McWhorter (3), Justin Smith (5) and Dale Kinney. Chad Miller and Dustin Preston. W-Smith (4-K, 1-W, 2-H, 0-R). L-Miller (13-K, 0-W). WP-Smith. HBP-by McCarty (Chad Miller). SB-South Point: Dale Kinney; Ironton: T.J. Keith, J.J. Johnson. Sac-Ironton: Chris Rakes. Hitting-South Point: Corey Smoot 3-3, Dale Kinney 1-3; Ironton: Chad Miller 2-3, Ryan Walker 2-4, T.J. Keith 1-4, Patrick Kouns 1-4.