Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — The pitchers made runs and hits hard to come by, but a few errors ruined the battle.
Fairland Dragons Reilly Sowards and Ironton Fighting Tigers’ Ryan Ashley both turned in strong pitching efforts, but a few errors and some walks were the deciding factors as the Dragons managed a 3-1 Ohio Valley Conference win on Tuesday.
Sowards gave up three hits and an earned run with six strikeouts and no walks.
Ashley went 5.1 innings allowing five hits, four runs — one earned — with four strikeouts and three walks. Reliever Kyle Howell struck out one but walked three in two-thirds of an inning.
Fairland (6-2, 4-0) got both its runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Gavin Hunt led off with a single, Dacoda Chapman walked and Sowards singled to load the bases. Tucker Adkins hit a ground ball that was booted for an error scoring Hunt. An out later, Kyle Rankin was hit with a pitch to force in the second run.
Ironton (5-5, 2-2) didn’t score until the sixth inning.
Ashley singled and went to second on an outfield error and scored on a one-out single by Brycen Thomas and it was 2-1.
Ironton had a chance to tie the game when Gage Salyers was hit by a pitch and Ethan Duncan singled. But Thomas tried to score on the play but was thrown out at home.
The Dragons managed a run in the bottom of the sixth.
Alex Rogers reached on an error, Bryan Defoe put down a sacrifice and Brennan West singled to put runners on the corners.
Hunt, Chapman and Adkins all walked to force home two runs.
Ironton 000 001 0 = 1 3 3
Fairland 200 002 x = 4 5 2
Ryan Ashley, Kyle Howell (6) and Brycen Thomas. Reilly Sowards and Bryan Defoe. W-Sowards (ER-1, K-4, BB-0, HBP-1). L-Ashley (IP-5.1, H-5, R-2, ER-1, K-4, BB-3, HBP-1). Howell (IP-0.2, K-1, BB-3). Hitting-Ironton: Brycen Thomas 1-3, Cameron Deere rbi, Ethan Duncan 1-3, Ryan Ashley 1-2; FHS: Gavin Hunt 1-2, Reilly Sowards 2-4, Bryan Defoe 1-2 2B, Brennan West 1-3.