Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

For six innings, it was anybody’s game.
But the Gallipolis Blue Devils scored five times in the seventh inning and rode the one-hit pitching of freshman Zane Loveday to blank the Ironton Fighting Tigers 7-0 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Monday.
Loveday struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
Ironton’s only hit was a one-out single by Brycen Thomas in the fifth inning.
Sophomore Kyle Howell pitched well for Ironton. In 6-plus innings, Howell gave up four runs — all earned — four hits, struck out nine and walked four.
The game was scoreless until the third inning when Gallipolis pushed across a run.
Trenton Johnson singled, Wyatt Sipple drew a one-out walk and the run scored following a pair of wild pitches.
The Blue Devils added a run in the sixth when Andrew Toler singled and Garrett McGuire had one-out double.
Gallipolis then scored five runs in the seventh.
Gallipolis 001 001 5 = 7 7 0
Ironton 000 000 x = 0 1 0
Zane Loveday and Morgan Stanley. Kyle Howell, Ethan Duncan (7) and Brycen Thomas. W-Loveday (K-7, BB-0). L-Howell (IP-6.0, H-4, R-4, ER-4, K-9, BB-4). Duncan (IP-1.0, H-3, R-3, ER-3, K-1). Hitting-Gallia: Andrew Toler 1-4, Josh Farrow 1-4 rbi, Garrett McGuire 3-4 2-2B 3-rbi, Cade Roberts 1-4 rbi, Trenton Johnson 1-2; Ironton: Brycen Thomas 1-2.