Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CHILLICOTHE — The Ironton Fighting Tigers don’t have the clout of Hollywood celebrities who get in legal trouble, but they could have used one of their defense teams.
Ironton’s defense made four crucial errors that led to four unearned runs in and the Miami Trace Panthers withstood a seventh inning rally to hang on for an 8-7 win over the Fighting Tigers Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Ironton (5-5) quickly jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning when Brycen Thomas and Gage Salyers both walked with one out and scored on Ethan Duncan’s double.
The Panthers (5-1) got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a single by Josh Gilmore, a stolen base, a wild pitch and Conner Bucher’s base hit.
Drew Batson and Austin Matthews both walked to load the bases with one out. Dalton Mayer hit into a fielder’s choice as a run scored and Austin Brown singled to give Miami Trace a 3-2 lead.
The Panthers made it 4-2 in the third with two outs.
Matthews walked and scored when Brayden Osborne singled into the gap in right-center.
Ironton got the run back in the fourth when Duncan singled, Gunner Crawford doubled and Cameron Deere hit a sacrifice fly.
Miami Trace got four runs in the fourth courtesy of the Ironton defense.
Luke Henry and Brightman reached on errors with two outs and Bucher had a two-run single. Bucher scored on an error, Batson walked and Matthews had an RBI single.
Ironton wouldn’t quit and managed to score a run in the seventh.
Deere, Will York and Jacob Sloan all walked and Kyle Howell lined an RBI single and it was 8-4 with two outs.
Gage Salyers walked to force in a run and Sloan came home on a passed ball. Duncan walked to re-load the bases but a wild pitch scored Howell and suddenly Ironton trailed just 8-7.
But reliever Dylin Bernard was able to strike out the next batter to end the game.
Duncan was 2-3 as Ironton managed just four hits.
Ironton 200 100 4 = 7 4 4
Miami Trace 301 400 x = 8 8 1
Brycen Thomas, Jacob Sloan (4), Ethan Duncan (6) and Collin Freeman. Hunter McBee, Mason Snow (5), Dylin Bernard (7) and Luke Henry. W-McBee (IP-4.0, H-3, R-3, ER-3, K-2, BB-3). Snow (IP-2.1, R-2, ER-2, K-2, BB-3). Bernard (IP-0.2, H-1, R-2, ER-2, K-2, BB-3). L-Thomas (IP-2.2, H-5, R-4, ER-4, K-1, BB-4). Sloan (IP-2.1, H-2, R-4, ER-0, K-1, K-2, BB-2). Duncan (IP-1.0, H-1, K-2, BB-2). Hitting-Ironton: Kyle Howell 1-3 rbi, Gage Salyers rbi, Ethan Duncan 2-3 2B 2-rbi, Gunner Crawford 1-3 2B, Cameron Deere rbi; MT: Josh Gilmore 1-4, Cody Brightman 1-4, Conner Bucher 2-3 3-rbi, Drew Batson 1-1, Austin Matthews 1-1, Dalton Mayer rbi, Brayden Osborne 1-3 rbi, Austin Brown 1-3 rbi.