Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia has the motto “Almost Heaven.” The Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers got a couple of slices of heaven on Saturday.
Ironton traveled to the Mountain State and beat the South Charleston Lady Black Eagles 5-4 and the Spring Valley Lady Timberwolves 4-1 behind strong pitching and clutch hitting.
“We battled two good teams,” said Ironton coach Missy Fields. “We have stressed teamwork this year and the girls are not disappointing us.
“When some are not hitting, others are stepping up. (Haylee) Stevens and (Demi) Sands did that today. Sands had her first dinger of the season and Stevens hit the ball well to drive in some runs.”
In the win over South Charleston, Mary Beth Burton worked 5.1 innings for the win. She gave up eight hits, struck out three, walked two and all four runs were earned.
Keegan Moore got the save as she came on with one in the sixth and struck out all four batters she faced.
After a scoreless first inning, Ironton got a run in the second when Riley Schreck walked, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Stevens’ double.
The Lady Tigers (7-1) pushed across three runs in the third to go up 4-0.
Burton led off with a walk and Peighton Rowe double to right. Burton went to third and scored on a passed ball. Rowe went to third on the passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.
Taiya Hamlet walked, Sands reached on a force out, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Moore’s base hit.
The Lady Black Eagles got a run in the fifth and Ironton scored what proved to be the winning run in the top of the sixth when Schreck doubled and scored on a single by Stevens.
South Charleston scored three runs in the bottom of the inning and had runners at first and third with one out.
Sands threw out the runner trying to steal and Moore then proceeded to with the four straight strikeouts.
In the second game, Moore pitched a complete game allowing six hits with 12 strikeouts and two walks.
Ironton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a leadoff home run by Sands.
The Lady Tigers made it 2-0 in the third on a two-out single by Burton, a walk to Rowe, an error and a passed ball.
The T-Wolves got their run in the bottom of the third when Riley Shirkey doubled, stole third and scored on Sophie Wellman’s ground out.
The score remained 2-1 until Ironton got two insurance runs in the seventh.
Kylee Richendollar walked, Kiandra Martin hit into a force out, Burton was safe on an error and Rowe singled to load the bases.
Hamlet walked to force home Martin and Sands’ base hit drove in the final run.
On the day, Stevens was 3-6 with a double and two runs batted in, Rowe was 3-5 and a double, Schreck 2-5 with a double and Moore 2-7.
Sands was 2-4 with a home run and two RBI in the second game.
First Game
Ironton 013 001 0 = 5 6 1
S. Charleston 000 013 0 = 4 8 2
Mary Beth Burton, Keegan Moore (6) and Demi Sands. Lexi Scarberry and Tori Wells. W-Burton (IP-5.1, H-8, R-4, ER-4, K-3, BB-2). Save-Moore (IP-1.2, K-4). L-Scarberry (ER-5, K-11, BB-5). Hitting-Ironton: Peighton Rowe 1-3 2B, Taiya Hamlet 1-2 2B, Keegan Moore 1-3 rbi, Riley Schreck 1-2 2B, Haylee Stevens 2-3 2B 2-rbi; SC: Tori Wells 2-4, Emma Falbo 1-3, Lanie Hapney 1-2, Anna Falbo 1-3, Megan Walton 1-2 2B, Rachel Walton 1-3 rbi, Lexi Scarberry 1-3.
Second Game
Ironton 011 000 2 = 4 8 0
Spring Val. 001 000 0 = 1 6 3
Keegan Moore and Demi Sands. Bryn Osburn and Sophie Wellman. W-Moore (ER-1, K-12, BB-2). L-Osburn (ER_2, K-7, BB-3). Hitting-Ironton: Mary Beth Burton 1-4, Peighton Rowe 2-2, Demi Sands 2-4 HR 2-rbi, Keegan Moore 1-4, Riley Schreck 1-3, Haylee Stevens 1-3; SV: Riley Shirkey 3-4 2B, Jewel Williamson 1-2, Sophie Wellman 2-3 rbi,