PEDRO — Most of the season, Ironton has been able to generate offense. The problem has been pitching.

The solution? Howie Lucas.

Ironton used a 13-hit attack to back the four-hit pitching of Lucas as the Fighting Tigers beat the Rock Hill Redmen 16-6 Tuesday in the Division III sectional tournament.

“Howie pitched a nice game. If we don’t make any errors, he pitches a shutout,” said Ironton coach Tobey Schreck. “It was nice to see us hit the ball well. We haven’t played for almost a week.”

Lucas, a sophomore, did not give up an earned run. He struck out seven and walked five in six innings of work.

Conversely, three Rock Hill pitchers gave up eight walks and hit four batters to go along with three costly errors.

“We didn’t hit and we didn’t field. When we don’t field, we don’t hit. It goes hand-in-hand,” said Redmen coach Barry Litteral.

Josh Pancake sparked the offense as he went 2-4 with a home run and four runs batted in.

Nick Lewis was 2-4 with three RBI, Wes Runyon wsa 2-4, and Geoff White and Byron Brammer were 2-3. Jeremy Moore, Ryan O’Leary and Keith Wetzel each added a hit.

Mark DePriest and C.J. Justice were 2-3 to account for all of Rock Hill’s offense.

Rock Hill took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when DePriest singled, Seth Kuehne walked, and a two-out error allowed the run to score.

But Pancake hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run second inning to give Ironton the lead for good at 4-1.

Two Rock Hill errors, a hit batsman, a two-run double by O’Leary, and singles by Lewis, Brammer and White pushed across five more runs in the third inning and it was 9-1.

Lewis drove in three runs in a six-run fourth inning as the lead ballooned to 15-1.

Three Ironton errors, two walks, a two-run single by DePriest and an RBI hit by Justice produced five runs in the bottom of the inning and it was 15-6.

But Ironton added a run in the sixth on three walks and Brammer’s sacrifice fly.

Ironton (6-19) will play in the sectional finals at 5 p.m. Friday at Minford.

Rock Hill (8-5) plays at Coal Grove Wednesday in a league makeup game.

Ironton045601=16135

Rock Hill100500=643

Howie Lucas and Geoff White. David Turley, Josh Malone (4), Nate Davenport (5) and Seth Kuehne. W-Lucas (7-K, 5-BB, 0-ER). L-Turley. SF-Ironton: Byron Brammer. 2B-Ironton: Nick Lewis, Ryan O’Leary. HR-Ironton: Josh Pancake. Hitting-Ironton: Josh Pancake 2-4 (4 rbi), Nick Lewis 2-4 (3 rbi), Jeremy Moore 104 (rbi), Geoff White 2-3 (rbi), Bryon Brammer 2-3 (rbi), Wes Runyon 2-4 (rbi), Ryan O’Leary 1-2 (2 rbi), Keith Wetzel 1-3 (rbi); Rock Hill: Mark DePriest 2-3 (2 rbi), C.J. Justice 2-3 (rbi).