By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

COAL GROVE — The race isn’t completely over, but it is sitting on the finish line.

The Rock Hill Redmen blanked the Coal Grove Hornets 11-0 in five innings on Monday to clinch at least a share of the Ohio Valley Conference baseball title.

The Redmen are now 13-3 overall and 8-0 in the OVC, two games ahead of Fairland with two remaining. Rock Hill hosts Fairland on Wednesday and South Point on Friday.

“It’s back-to-back OVC titles and we’d like to win it outright, but we have two tough teams to play,” said Rock Hill coach Barry Litteral.

“Schob pitched a good game and put the ball in play and made them make plays. When they put the ball in play we made the play.”

Johnathan Schob got the win as he allowed just four hits, struck out eight and walked two.

Coal Grove was guilty of five errors that led to six unearned runs.

“We didn’t play bad, but we made too many errors again,” said Hornets’ coach Dean Mader. “Give credit to Rock Hill. They’re a very solid team defensively.”

Rock Hill went up 2-0 in the first inning when Evan Morris doubled, Drew Kidd reached on an error for a run and Matt Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly.

The lead went to 6-0 in the second inning.

Jack Goodwin walked, Laden Delawder and Jared Bruce singled for a run, Kidd was safe on an error for two runs and a wild pitch scored a run.

The Redmen put the game away with five runs in the fifth.

Kidd doubled and scored when Schob hit into a fielder’s choice. Jenkins singled, Ryan Depriest was safe on an error, Goodwin singled and Jonah Cox walked to force in a run.

Delawder went 2-2 for the Redmen. Mason Nance was 3-3 for the Hornets.

Rock Hill 240 05 = 11 7 0

Coal Grove 000 00 = 0 4 4

Johnathan Schob and Austin Kidd. Jessie Rigsby, Isaiah Gunther (5) and Jacob Pierce. W-Schob (K-8, BB-2). L-Rigsby (K-7, BB-4, H-8, R-11, IP-4.2). 2B-RH: Drew Kidd, Evan Morris. Hitting-Rock Hill: Drew Kidd 1-3, Evan Morris 1-4, Matt Jenkins 1-2, Laden Delawder 2-2, Jared Bruce 1-3, Jack Goodwin 1-2; CG: Jacob Pierce 1-2, Mason Nance 3-3.