CHILLICOTHE — It’s going to be a great finish. Just not right now.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers and Chillicothe Cavaliers played to a 7-7 tie Friday before darkness halted play after seven innings.

The game will be completed prior to the regularly scheduled game April 25 at Ironton.

Oddly enough, the first meeting at Ironton went eight innings with Chillicothe winning 8-7.

Ironton took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Chad Miller reached on an error, went to third on T.J. Keith’s double and scored when the return throw from the outfield was mishandled.

The Cavaliers tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Alex Grow and a double by Seth Dawes.

Ironton went back in front 3-2 in the second inning.

Tanner Reed singled, Wes Runyon put down a sacrifice bunt, and scored when Josh Pancake reached on an error.

Chillicothe answered with five runs in the third inning on three walks, a two-run double by Josh Detty and an RBI single by Mike Dennis.

The lead went to 7-3 in the fourth on a single by Grow, two walks and an infield hit by Nathanael Moccabee.

But Ironton rallied to tie the game in the fifth inning.

David Bridges walked, went to second on a ground out. Took third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Jeremy Moore.

Reed singled, Runyon was safe on an error, Pancake singled home Moore, Byron Brammer hit into a force play to score Redd and Miller’s base hit drove home pinch-runner Chad Carty.

The Fighting Tigers play at Jackson Monday in the first of four road games next week.

Ironton1200400=791

Chillicothe1051000=776

Howie Lucas, Greg Kettel (4) and Tanner Reed. Derrick Webb, Aaron Dixon (5) and Seth Dawes. 2B-Ironton: T.J. Keith, Chad Miller, Jeremy Moore; Chillicothe: Seth Dawes, Detty. Sac-Ironton: Wes Runyon; Chillicothe: Mike Dennis. Hitting-Ironton: Chad Miller 2-4; T.J. Keith 1-3, David Bridges 1-3, Jeremy Moore 2-3; Tanner Reed 2-4, Josh Pancake 1-3; Chillicothe: Alex Grow 1-2, Seth Dawes 1-3, Nathanael Moccabee 3-4, Detty 1-2, Mike Dennis 1-2.