Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PEDRO — As the old Garrett Morris baseball character on Saturday Night Live would say, “Baseball been berry, berry good to me.”
Baseball will be good to you if you play well.
Well, Logan Hankins pitched well and his teammates played well as the Rock Hill Redmen beat the Ironton Fighting Tigers 10-2 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Wednesday.
“We played well and hit the ball well. Logan threw well and battled through some tough situations and came out on top,” said Rock Hill coach Barry Litteral.
“It was a big conference win. It keeps us in the hunt. What we have to do is stay focused and keep winning.”
Hankins gave up six hits with seven strikeouts, two walks and one earned run. He also went 3-4 with two doubles and four runs batted in.
Rock Hill (7-3, 3-1) took a 2-0 lead in the first.
Jake Blagg was safe on an error, Seth Nichols put down a sacrifice, Hankins singled and Kaleb Kidd walked to load the bases. Kadin France had an RBI single and Landon Smith put down a squeeze bunt to score Hankins.
The Redmen opened up a 7-0 lead in the second.
Jordan Griffith singled, moved up on two wild pitches, Braydon Friend walked and stole second and a run scored on a wild pitch.
Blagg and Nichols walked and Hankins had a two-run double. Kidd walked and Smith capped the rally with a two-run single.
Ironton (5-7, 2-3) got its two runs in the top of the third.
Brycen Thomas doubled, Cameron Deere singled and moved up on a ground out.
Ethan Duncan was safe on an error for a run and Kyle Howell grounded out driving in Deere.
But Rock Hill came back with two in the bottom of the inning when Blagg singled, Nichols was safe on an error and Hankins doubled them home.
The final run scored in the sixth.
Smith walked, took second on a wild pitch, Nick Blankenship singled and a wild pitch scored the run.
On Thursday, Rock Hill visits Chesapeake and Ironton hosts Portsmouth.
Ironton 002 000 0 = 2 6 3
Rock Hill 252 001 x = 10 9 2
Gage Salyers, Jacob Sloan (2), Ethan Duncan (4) and Brycen Thomas. Logan Hankins and Kaleb Kidd. W-Hankins (ER-1, K-7, BB-2). L-Salyers (IP-1.0, H-3, R-6, ER-5, K-1, BB-4). Hitting-Ironton: Brycen Thomas 1-4 2B, Cameron Deere 2-4, Gage Salyers 1-4, Kyle Howell 1-3 2B, Collin Freeman 1-3; RH: Jake Blagg 1-4, Logan Hankins 3-4 2-2B 4-rbi, Kaleb Kidd 1-3, Kadin France 1-4, Landon Smith 1-1 3-rbi, Nick Blankenship 1-4, Jordan Griffith 1-4.