Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE — It wasn’t senior night. It just seemed that way.

Fairland’s four seniors played key roles as the Dragons blanked the Chesapeake Panthers 5-0 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

Kyle Raines pitched a four-hitter as he struck out eight and walked one. Fellow seniors contributing were Kyle Sowards with a triple, Josh Ross with an RBI and Matt Aliff with some solid defense.

“We were worried about this game. We knew (Joe) Bias threw hard,” said Fairland coach Bryan Ward. “But our seniors stepped up and made big plays. It was kind of a senior-dominated win.”

Fairland (10-5, 6-1) got the only run it needed in the first inning when Sowards led off with a triple and scored on a ground out by Ross.

Collin Damron singled and Russell doubled him home on a hit-and-run play in the fourth inning to make it 2-0.

The Dragons scored three insurance runs in the sixth.

Brandon Burcham singled, stole second and Raines had an RBI double. Courtesy runner Hayden James stole second and scored on Russell’s base hit. Pinch-runner Cullen Peterson stole second and Robert Thompson had an RBI single.

Chesapeake 000 000 0 = 0 4 2

Fairland 100 103 x = 5 8 1

Joe Bias and Blake Ashworth. Kyle Raines and Garrett Scheibelhood. W-Raines (K-8, BB-1). L-Bias (K-6, BB-2). 2B-Chesapeake: Jacob Henson; Fairland: Kyle Raines, Evan Russell. 3B-Fairland: Kyle Sowards. Hitting-Chesapeake: Joe Bias 1-3, Jacob Eddy 1-3, Jacob Henson 2-3; Fairland: Kyle Sowards 1-3, Matt Aliff 1-2, Brandon Burcham 1-3, Kyle Raines 1-3, Collin Damron 1-3, Evan Russell 2-3 rbi-2, Robert Thompson 1-1.