After trading punches for five innings, the Ironton Fighting Tigers were able to land a knock out blow.

Ironton used a 4-run rally in the sixth inning to beat the Symmes Valley Vikings 9-5 Tuesday.

“It was a pretty good ball game,” said Ironton coach Tobey Schreck. “Ethan Preston battled on the mound and got a big hit for us. We had a lot of clutch hits. Josh Pancake seems to have found a comfortable spot batting leadoff.”

Preston pitched a 7-hitter, struck out eight and walked five in going the distance for the win. Luke Taylor went the final six innings in relief of Kris Tibbs and took the loss.

Ironton (8-3) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Pancake doubled and came home when Preston reached on an error.

The Vikings (7-3) tied the game in the top of the second when Luke Taylor walked and Nathan Dockery and Cory Brown singled.

They went ahead 3-1 with two runs in the top of the third inning on walks to Cody Myers and Tyler Easthom, a passed ball and Jacob Patterson’s two-run single.

But Ironton answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 4-3.

Pancake ripped a home run leading off the inning. Darren Dalton, Preston and Jonathan Williams all walked to load the bases and Anthony Harper smacked a 2-run single.

Easthom doubled and Patterson singled him home to tie the game in the top of the fifth, but Ironton came right back to go up 5-4 in the bottom of the inning on walks to Dalton and Preston, a double steal, a ground out and a wild pitch.

The Fighting Tigers finally took command with four runs in the sixth.

With two outs, Chris Warner had a base hit, Pancake walked and Dalton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Preston delivered a 2-run single and Williams followed with a 2-run single of his own and it was 9-4.

The Vikings added a run in the seventh on a walk and Patterson’s triple.

Pancake went 2-3 for Ironton while Patterson had three of the Vikings’ hits.

On Wednesday, Ironton plays at Portsmouth.

Symmes Valley 012 010 1 = 5 7 1

Ironton 103 014 x = 9 7 1

Kris Tibbs, Luke Taylor (2) and Jacob Patterson. Ethan Preston and Keith Wetzel. W-Preston (8-K, 5-BB). L-Taylor (7-K, 7-BB, 6-H, 1-HBP). 2B-SV: Tyler Easthom, Justin Payne; Ironton: Josh Pancake. 3B-SV: Jacob Patterson. HR-Ironton: Josh Pancake. Hitting-Symmes Valley: Jacob Patterson 3-4, Nathan Dockery 1-3, Cory Brown 1-3, Justin Payne 1-2, Tyler Easthom 1-3; Ironton: Josh Pancake 2-3, Ethan Preston 1-2, Jonathan Williams 1-3, Anthony Harper 1-3, “Tractor” Taylor Barker 1-2, Chris Warner 1-1.