Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

Keeping the ball down kept the scoring down.

Conor Markins pitched a five-hitter as the Coal Grove Hornets topped the St. Joseph Flyers 7-2 on Monday.

Markins struck out five and walked two in the complete game win.

“Conor did a good job of keeping the ball down and we got enough hits to score some runs,” said Hornets’ coach Dean Mader. “We still aren’t consistent with our hitting. We need to string some games together and get some more at-bats.”

Coal Grove (9-6) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. D.J. Miller was hit by a pitch and Jesse Rigsby belted a two-run homer.

Rigsby went 3-3 with four runs batted in.

The lead went to 3-0 in the fourth when Mason Nance reached on an error, stole second and Markins had an RBI single.

The Hornets scored four runs in the fifth.

Sean Paulus was hit by a pitch, Luke McGraw singled and Jacob Clark singled for a run. Nance singled in a run and Rigsby had a two-run double.

The Flyers (2-10) got a run in the fifth when Trey Young singled, stole second and scored as Hunter Pemberton reached on an error.

St. Joseph added a run in the sixth. Cole Willis doubled, Chris Lewis singled him to third and he scored on a balk.

Daniel Rutherford was 3-4 and Clark 2-4 as the Hornets had 11 hits.

Lewis was 2-3 for the Flyers.

Coal Grove 200 140 0 = 7 11 2

St. Joseph 000 011 0 = 2 5 1

Conor Markins and Jacob Clark. Peyton Adkins, Brad Rist (2), Tre Neal (6) and Zach McGraw. W-Markins (K-5, BB-2). L-Adkins. Hitting-CG: Mason Nance 1-3 rbi, Jesse Rigsby 3-3 rbi-4, Conor Markins 1-4 rbi, Daniel Rutherford 3-4, Luke McGraw 1-4, Jacob Clark 2-4; St. Joseph: Cole Willis 1-1, Chris Lewis 2-3, Peyton Adkins 1-3, Trey Young 1-3. 2B-CG: Jacob Clark, Jesse Rigsby, Daniel Rutherford. HR-CG: Jesse Rigsby.