By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

It wasn’t the WWE, but the Ironton Fighting Tigers went to a tag team to get a win.

Maurice Phillips and Steve Easterling combined on a four-hitter as Ironton beat the Symmes Valley Vikings 8-3 on Friday.

Easterling went 3.1 innings of relief striking out seven, walking four and not allowing a hit. Phillips fanned two, walked three and gave up two runs.

“Phillips kept battling until he got in trouble in the fourth and then we brought in Easterling and he shut them down the rest of the way,” said Ironton coach Tobey Schreck. “Symmes Valley has a nice young team. Their pitcher throws the ball hard.”

Tanner Mays got the loss as he struck out eight and walked just two.

Ironton went up 1-0 in the first inning on a single by Steve Easterling and a double by Sean Lawless.

The lead went to 2-0 in the third when Easterling was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved up on a ground out and scored on Lawless’ sacrifice fly.

The Vikings tied the game with two runs in the fourth.

Dylan Pelletier singled, Lane Wilson reached on a two-out error and Michael Williams had a two-run double.

Ironton regained the lead with four runs in the bottom of the inning.

Cody Roberts was hit by a pitch, Brandon Leach singled, they both stole a base and Trevor Easterling reached on a two-out error as a run scored.

Steve Easterling singled home two runs, and then swiped three bases including home to cap the rally.

The Vikings got a run in the fifth when Alec Herrell and Mitchell Corn walked and Pelletier reach on an error. Easterling struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

The final two runs came around in the sixth inning.

Trevor Easterling and Korey Kellogg singled and Lawless had an RBI single. Kellogg stole third base and Derek Battise hit a sacrifice fly.

Ironton (8-7) had 10 hits with Battise and Steve Easterling going 2-3. Pelletier was 2-4 to pace the Vikings.

Sym. Valley 000 210 0 = 3 4 1

Ironton 101 402 x = 8 10 3

Tanner Mays and Alec Herrell. Maurice Phillips, Steve Easterling (4) and Steve Easterling, Maurice Phillips (4). W-Easterling (IP-3.1, K-7, BB-4, H-0, R-1). Phillips K-2, BB-3, H-4, R-2. L-Mays (K-8, BB-2, HBP-1). 2B-SV: Michael Williams; Ironton: Derek Battise, Sean Lawless. Hitting-SV: D.J. Miller 1-2, Dylan Pelletier 2-4, Michael Williams 1-2; Ironton: Steve Easterling 2-3, Korey Kellogg 1-3, Sean Lawless 1-3, Derek Battise 2-3, Nick Culbertson 1-2, Brandon Leach 1-3, Maurice Phillips 1-3, Trevor Easterling 1-3.