COAL GROVE — Going deep means the Coal Grove Hornets will be able to keep going in their title drive.

Tyler Allen hit a three-run homer to snap a tie game as Coal Grove stayed in the third of the Ohio Valley Conference race with an 11-8 win over the Chesapeake Panthers Friday.

Coal Grove is now 5-2 in the OVC, one game behind leaders Rock Hill and Fairland. The Hornets host Rock Hill on Monday.

“Tyler didn’t swing hard, but he hit it solid,” said Hornets coach John Jones. “When he first hit it, I’m yelling tag up. Then I looked up again and started yelling it’s going deep. He hit it well.”

Trailing 8-7, David Bridges reached on a missed third strike and then Jake Murphy singled Bridges to third. After Murphy stole second, Ryan Ramey hit a ground ball but the throw home was late as Bridges scored the tying run.

With a 1-2 count, Allen hit a three-run homer.

The Panthers went up 3-0 in the top of the first inning.

Clinton Baise singled, stole second and scored on a double by Matt Angle. Bryon Huff and Phillip Mandt doubled for two more runs.

Coal Grove (8-4) got a run back when Zack Murphy singled and Wayne Sparks tripled.

“We just left too many guys on base,” said Jones. “We get a triple with no one out and don’t get him in.”

The Hornets tied the game in the third inning.

Zack Murphy led off with a home run, Sparks doubled and Alex Johnson had an RBI single.

Chesapeake went back on top 4-3 in the fourth when Colton Lindsey reached second base on an error, took third on a fly ball and scored on a passed ball.

The lead went to 5-3 in the top of the fifth when Huff was hit by a pitch and Kyle Rase and Mandt singled.

But the Hornets came back with four runs in their half of the inning to lead 7-5.

Taylor Dean and Shannon Godwin walked, Jake Murphy walked to load the bases, and Roger Ramey tripled to clear the bases. An overthrow on the play allowed Ramey to score.

Chesapeake answered with three runs in the sixth to lead 8-7.

Lindsey doubled and Gabriel Freyre had a one-out single. An interference call on the play sent Freyre to second base.

Baise singled home a run, Angle singled, and Huff was safe on an error as a run scored.

That set the stage for the Hornets game-winning rally.

Chesapeake3001130=8105

Coal Grove1020404=11144

Matt Angle, Travis Zimmreman (4), Bryon Huff (6) and Bryon Huff, Travis Zimmerman (6). David Bridges, Wayne Sparks (6) and Taylor Dean. W-Sparks (2-K, 0-BB, 1-H). L-Huff. 2B-Chesapeake: Matt Angle, Bryon Huff, Phillip Mandt, Colton Lindsey; CG: Wayne Sparks, Jake Murphy, Oakie Haynes. 3B-CG: Wayne Sparks, Roger Ramey. HR-CG: Zack Murphy, Tyler Allen. Hitting-Chesapeake: Clinton Baise 2-5, Matt Angle 2-3, Bryon Huff 1-3, Kyle Rase 1-4, Phillip Mandt 1-4, Colton Lindsey 1-4, Gabriel Freyre 2-3; Coal Grove: Zack Murphy 3-3, Wayne Sparks 2-4, Alex Johnson 1-4, Shannon Goodwin 1-3, David Bridges 1-4, Jake Murphy 2-3, Roger Ramey 2-4, Oakie Haynes 1-2, Tyler Allen 1-2.