By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

COAL GROVE — Walks will haunt but errors will bury you.

The Coal Grove Hornets were guilty of 10 errors in an 11-1 six-inning loss on Monday to the South Point Pointers in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“We didn’t hit and had a bunch of errors. That’s the recipe for a loss,” said Hornets’s coach Dean Mader. “But give them credit. Their kid pitched really well.”

Coal Grove (2-6, 1-3) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Mason Nance singled, moved up on an error and scored on a ground out by Conor Markins.

But the Pointers scored five times in the third on a walk, three errors, an RBI single by Josh Lien and a two-run single by Brandon Boggs.

Two walks and an error made it 7-1 in the fourth and a run scored in the fifth when Austin Majher singled and Lien reached on a fielder’s choice.

The final three runs scored in the sixth.

Larry Brandon was safe on an error, Josh Browning walked and Brandon Conley had a two-run single. Trey Kerns squeeze bunt scored the third run.

Browning pitched a two-hitter, struck out seven and did not walk a batter to get the win. Three Coal Grove pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and eight walks.

Boggs was 2-3 while Alex White, Lien and Conley all went 2-4 as South Point had eight hits.

Coal Grove hosts Elliott County on Thursday.

South Point 005 213 = 11 8 2

Coal Grove 100 000 = 1 2 10

Josh Browning and Austin Majher. Jacob Pierce, Jonathan Joseph (4), Conor Markins (4) and Jesse Rigsby. W-Browning (K-7, BB-0). L-Pierce. 2B-SP: Brandon Boggs. Hitting-SP: Josh Lien 2-4, Alex Whitt 2-4, Brandon Conley 2-4, Brandon Boggs 2-3; CG: Jacob Pierce 1-2, Mason Nance 1-3.