Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

There was no doubting Thomas on this night.
Brycen Thomas pitched and hit well as the Ironton Fighting Tigers beat the Fairland Dragons 7-5 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Thursday.
“Brycen Thomas had an excellent all-around game. He threw strikes and had his off-speed working. At the plate, he was on the bases every at-bat and swung it good,” said Ironton coach Travis Wylie.
“Tanner Bowles and Joel Blankenship both had good games at the plate, too. Seniors need to be leaders and they did that tonight.”
Thomas went six innings to get the win. He struck out six, walked four, gave up five hits and four of the five runs were earned.
Bret Ashley pitched the seventh and allowed a single as he notched the save.
Ironton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Gage Salyers singled, Collin Freeman, Thomas and Garrett Carrico all walked to force in a run. Brady Rowe hit a sacrifice fly and Bowles grounded out as a run scored.
Fairland cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the third.
Jace Vonville singled, stole second and scored on Gavin Hunt’s base hit. Hunt stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Eli Bowen.
Ironton answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to lead 6-2.
Thomas, Bowles and Reid Carrico all singled for a run and then Blankenship and Cameron Deere had RBI singles.
Fairland scored a run in the fourth on a double by Tucker Adkins and Kyle Rankin’s base hit.
The Dragons made it 6-4 in the fifth when Hunt and Garrett Looney both reached on errors.
Fairland got another run in the top of the sixth when Rankin walked and Dacoda Chapman doubled.
But Ironton scored an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Thomas doubled and Rowe reached on an error.
The Fighting Tigers (3-7) had eight hits with Thomas going 2-2 and Blankenship 2-4 with an RBI.
Fairland had six different players get one hit.
Rankin went the distance in taking the loss. He struck out one, walked five, gave up eight hits and six of the runs were earned.
On Friday, Ironton visits Rock Hill and Fairland hosts Coal Grove.
Fairland 002 111 0 = 5 6 2
Ironton 303 001 x = 7 8 2
Kyle Rankin and Eli Bowen. Brycen Thomas, Brett Ashley (7) and Collin Freeman. W-Thomas (IP-6.0, K-6, BB-4, H-5, R-5, ER-4). Save-Ashley (IP-1.0, H-1). L-Rankin (K-1, BB-5, ER-6). Hitting-FHS: Jace Vonville 1-4, Darius Stapleton 1-4, Tucker Adkins 1-3 2B, Kyle Rankin 1-1 rbi, Gavin Hunt 1-4 rbi, Dacoda Chapman 1-2 2B rbi; Ironton: Joel Blankenship 2-4 rbi, Tanner Bowels 1-3 2-rbi, Garrett Carrico rbi, Reid Carrico 1-3, Cameron Deere 1-3 rbi, Gage Salyers 1-4, Brycen Thomas 2-2, Brady Rowe SF rbi.