Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — The Rock Hill Redmen might wave the white flag, but it doesn’t mean they plan to surrender.
The Redmen executed five different sacrifice hits as they beat the Gallipolis Blue Devils 5-1 on Friday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
“We had four sacrifice bunts and a sacrifice fly. We got them over and found a way to get them home,” said Redmen coach Barry Litteral.
“It was a good bounce-back win for us. The kids played well and they played well together.”
Logan Hankins keyed the bounce back win as he pitched a one-hit complete game. He struck out seven, walked two, hit a batter and the one run was unearned.
“He threw an extremely well-pitched game,” said Litteral.
Rock Hill (5-2, 2-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Jake Blagg walked, Nick Blankenship put down a sacrifice, Hankins reached on a missed third strike and Kaleb Kidd hit a sacrifice fly.
The Blue Devils tied the game in the top of the fourth when Josh Faro doubled and Garrett McGuire reached on an error as the run scored.
Rock Hill scored a run in the bottom of the inning to lead 2-1.
Seth Nichols singled, Jordan Griffith walked and Brayden Friend walked to load the bases. Blagg then came up and put down a squeeze bunt to drive in what proved to be the winning run.
The Redmen added three insurance runs in the sixth.
Nichols walks wild pitch Griffith sacrifice and scored on a wild pitch.
Friend walked, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and came home when Blagg hit into a fielder’s choice.
Blagg took second on a wild pitch and scored on Hankins’ double.
Gallipolis loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Hankins enticed Morgan Stanley to hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
Blagg was 1-3 with two runs batted in while Blankenship, Nichols and Friend were all 1-2.
Gallipolis 000 100 0 = 1 1 1
Rock Hill 100 103 x = 5 6 1
Zane Loveday, Cole Davis (6) and Morgan Stanley. Logan Hankins and Kaleb Kidd. W-Hankins (K-7, BB-2, HBP-1, ER-0). L-Loveday (IP-5.1, H-5, R-4, ER-3, BB-5, K-2). Davis (IP-0.2, R-1, ER-0 H-1). Hitting-Gallia: Josh Faro 1-2 2B rbi; RH: Jake Blagg 1-3 2-rbi, Nick Blankenship 1-2, Logan Hankins 1-4 2B, Seth Nichols 1-2, Brayden Friend 1-2.