Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — You can hear John Lennon and Paul McCartney harmonize the words “Wait, till I come back to your side.”
Now listen and you can hear the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers harmonize, “Wait, till our comeback and win.”
Trailing the entire game, Ironton scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the Minford Lady Falcons 5-4 on Saturday in the Queen of the Hill Classic.
“It was a great way to start the season with a comeback win in the bottom of the seventh inning,” said Lady Tigers’ coach Missy Fields. “I’m excited that the girls have that fight in them.
“They have worked pretty hard during the offseason. The team chemistry is great. I’m looking forward to a great season with my team.”
Minford jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings before Ironton began its comeback with three runs in the fourth.
With two outs, Kylee Richendollar, Mary Beth Burton and Peighton Rowe all singled for one run and Taiya Hamlet followed with a two-run single.
The score stayed 4-3 until the bottom of the seventh.
Rowe and Hamlet reached on back-to-back errors to start the inning. Keegan Moore then singled home the tying run.
Demi Sands then hit a fly ball to left field that was misplayed for an error allowing the winning run to score.
Moore — a freshman — made an impressive debut as she went 3-3 with a run batted in while also pitching four innings in relief to get the win. She struck out six and gave up only one hit.
Hamlet was 2-3 and two RBI, Rowe 2-4 and an RBI and Richendollar 2-3 as Ironton had 11 hits in its season opener.
Minford 310 000 0 = 4 8 3
Ironton 000 300 2 = 5 11 0
Madi Sifford, Hannah Tolle (4) and Kiersten Hale. Mary Beth Burton, Keegan Moore (4) and Demi Sands. W-Moore (IP-4.0, H-1, K-6). Burton (IP-3.0, H-7, R-4, ER-4, K-4, BB-1). L-Tolle (IP-2.1, H-5, R-4, ER-2). Sifford (IP-3.2, H-6, R-1, ER-1, K-2, BB-2). Hitting-Minford: Andrea Blevins 3-4, Emily Shoemaker 1-4 2-rbi, Hannah Tolle 1-4 2B, Brittani Wolfenbarker 1-3 2B rbi, Tamara Burchett 1-3, Madi Sifford 1-3; Ironton: Mary Beth Burton 1-4, Peighton Rowe 2-4 rbi, Taiya Hamlet 2-3 2-rbi, Keegan Moore 3-3 rbi, Haylee Stevens 1-3, Kylee Richendollar 2-3.