Josh Adkins developed a blister on his finger, but not until he blistered the Greenup County Musketeers bats.

In his first start of the season, Adkins struck out 11 batters in five-plus innings and allowed only an infield single as the Ironton Fighting Tigers blanked Greenup 8-0 Friday.

Adkins had a no-hitter until the sixth inning when Brandon Craycraft beat out a ground ball up the middle that shortstop Chad Miller was able to snag but couldn't make a throw.

"I felt pretty good. I could have finished the game, but my finger really hurt," said Adkins.

Besides his pitching, Adkins slammed a two-run triple in the first inning after singles by Brigham Waginger and Chris Rakes.

Ironton, 3-5, banged out 12 hits while Adkins and reliever Dennis Gagai limited Greenup County to just two hits.

"Josh pitched pretty well and we hit the ball up and down the lineup. We played much better and we played with some enthusiasm," Ironton coach Mark Lewis said.

After Adkins tripled in the two runs in the first, he scored on a sacrifice fly by Gagai.

The lead went to 4-0 in the second inning when Chad Miller and Waginger singled and Rakes doubled.

The Fighting Tigers scored three in the fourth inning to lead 7-0.

With one out, Waginger singled, Rakes reached on an error and Gagai looped a double down the right field line as the runners scored. Dustin Preston followed with a run-scoring single.

Ironton got its final run in the fifth when Miller walked, was balked to second and scored on Waginger's base hit.

Waginger went 4-for-4 to lead Ironton. Rakes was 2-3.

Greenup County fell to 9-3 with the loss.

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Tyler Heineman, Zach Stringfellow (5) and Bill Logan. Josh Adkins, Dennis Gagai (6) and Dustin Preston. W-Adkins 1-0 (11-K, 2-W, 1-H). L-Heineman (7-R, 5-ER, 10-H, 3-K, 2-W). Save-Gagai (2-K, 0-W, 1-H). SB-Ironton: Brigham Waginger. SF-Ironton: Dennis Gagai. 2B-Ironton: Chris Rakes. 3B-Ironton: Josh Adkins. Hitting-Greenup: Austin Wright 1-3, Brandon Craycraft 1-2; Ironton: Brigham Waginger 4-4 (RBI), Chris Rakes 2-4 (RBI), Josh Adkins 1-4 (2 RBI), Dennis Gagai 1-3 (3 RBI), Dustin Preston 1-1 (3 RBI), Patrick Kouns 1-4, Ryan Walker 1-3 Chad Miller 1-2. LOB-Greenup 4, Ironton 7. Records:Ironton 3-5, Greenup Co. 9-3.