There’s a lot of fight in the Lady Fighting Tigers.

After a fast start, the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers watched the Greenup County Lady Musketeers rally to tie the game.

But Ironton got a run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a thrilling 6-5 win on Wednesday.

“I was so proud of our girls tonight who battled it out with a great hitting Greenup team. Greenup really hit the gaps tonight,” said Ironton coach Missy Fields. “Even with the hits, Peighton (Rowe) and Mary Beth (Burton) combined for nine strikeouts. Those two complement each other. Burton got stronger each inning and Cremeens, Hamlet, Paholsky and Sands crushed the ball tonight.”

Demi Sands led a 12-hit Ironton attack by going 3-4 with a double and two runs batted in. Kenzie Cremeens was 2-4 with two doubles, Taiya Hamlet 2-4 and two RBI and Paholsky 2-4.

Rowe went the first 4.1 innings. She struck out four, did not walk a batter, gave up six hits and four runs. Burton finished and had five strikeouts, a walk, two hits and one earned run.

In the ninth, Haylee Stevens reached on an error to lead off the inning. Cremeens belted her second double of the game and Hamlet singled home Stevens to end the game.

Greenup had eight hits — all doubles that produced the five runs.

Ironton (15-3) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Cremeens doubled and Hamlet tripled her home. Aley Carmon had an RBI singled and went to third on a hit by Paholsky who took second on the throw to third.

Sands then spanked a two-run single to cap the rally.

Greenup (9-10) got three runs in the fourth when Shelbie Watkins, Laykin Tolliver, Aleeya Adkins and Morgan Howard all doubled.

Ironton got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a double by Sands and a two-out single by Stevens.

Greenup tied the game with two runs in the fifth on doubles by Watkins, Tolliver and Jaqueline Battista.

Fields also had praise for Carmon, the team’s only senior.

“Aley has brought so much to our softball program. She’s been an all-district player three times and was All-Ohio last year. We are truly going to miss her,” said Fields.

Ironton plays at Chesapeake next Wednesday in an Ohio Valley Conference game and travels to Rock Hill on Friday, May 12, for the Division III sectional tournament.

 

Greenup    000    320    000    =    5    8    3
Ironton       400    100    001    =    6    12    2

McKenzie Crosier, Madison Crump (1) and Jaqueline Battista. Peighton Rowe, Mary Beth Burton (5) and Kenzie Cremeens. W-Burton (IP-4.2, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-5, BB-1). Rowe (IP-4.1, H-6, R-4, ER-4, K-4, BB-0). L-Crosier (IP-7.2, H-9, R-3, ER-2, K-6, BB-3). Crump (IP-0.1, H-3, R-3, ER-3). Hitting-GC: Shelbie Watkins 2-5 2-2B, Laykin Tolliver 2-5 2-2B 2-RBI, Jaqueline Battista 1-4 2B RBI, Morgan Howard 1-4 2B 2-RBI, Madison Crump 1-4 2B, Aleeya Adkins 1-3 2B; Ironton: Haylee Stevens 1-4 RBI, Kenzie Cremeens 2-4 2-2B, Taiya Hamlet 2-4 2-RBI, Aley Carmon 1-4 RBI, Ruth Paholsky 2-4, M’Kenzie McMaster 1-4, Demi Sands 3-4 2B 2-RBI.