Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — Just when it all seems dark, the Coal Grove Hornets found some light.
Down 11-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Hornets rallied for six runs as they rallied to edge the Ironton Fighting Tigers 12-11 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.
“It wasn’t a pretty game, but both teams really played hard. Our kids kept battling and they never quit. Our kids showed a lot of character,” said Hornets’ coach Dean Mader.
With one out in the seventh, Nate Harmon tripled, Brady Doyle walked and Ben Compliment singled in a run.
Zack Landers had an RBI single and an error put runners at second and third. Tate Matney walked, Jordan Case reached on a throwing error as two runs scored.
Sam Angelo hit a sacrifice fly scoring Matney. Jeb Jones was walked intentionally and Darin Bloomfield beat out an infield hit as the winning run scored.
Ironton (1-3, 1-2) took a 3-0 lead to start the game.
Gage Salyers singled, Garrett Carrico doubled, Ethan Duncan walked and Ayden Barnes hit into a force play for a run.
Brycen Thomas singled in a run and walks to Joel Blankenship and Cameron Deere scored a run.
Ironton got two runs in the second to lead 5-0 and two more runs in the third, one in the fourth and one in the first before getting two more in the sixth.
Coal Grove (2-2, 1-2) got single runs in the second and fourth before getting four runs in the fifth.
In the bottom of the fourth, Case singled, Angelo was hit by a pitch and Evan Holmes pinch-ran.
Jones and Bloomfield walked to force in a run, a passed ball scored a run and a throwing error on the play scored a run. A wild pitch scored the final run.
Ironton pitchers issued 10 walks and the defense committed four errors.
Carrico was 3-5 with two doubles and an RBI as Ironton had 10 hits.
The two teams meet at Ironton on Wednesday.
Ironton       322    112    0    =    11    10    4
Coal Grove    010    140    6    =    12    8    4
Garrett Carrico, Brycen Thomas (5) and Collin Freeman. Nate Harmon, Sam Angelo (6) and Jeb Jones. W-Angelo (K-3, BB-2, IP-2.0, H-2, R-2, ER-2). Harmon (IP-5.0, BB-5, H-8, R-9, ER-6). L-Thomas (IP-2.0, K-1, BB-6, H-4, R-7, ER-5). Carrico (IP-4.0, K-5, BB-4, H-4, R-5, ER-5). Hitting-Ironton: Gage Salyers 1-4, Garrett Carrico 3-5 2-2B rbi, Ayden Barnes 1-4 2-rbi, Brycen Thomas 1-3 rbi, Cameron Deere 1-2, Joel Blankenship 2-3 2-rbi, Collin Freeman 1-3 2-rbi; CG: Jordan Case 1-4 rbi, Sam Angelo 1-3 rbi, Darin Bloomfield 1-4 2-rbi, Nate Harmon 1-3 3B, Brady Doyle 1-2, Ben Compliment 1-3 2-rbi, Zack Landers 1-4 2-rbi, Tate Matney 1-3.