Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

It was staff day.
The Ironton Fighting Tigers and St. Joseph Flyers combined to use 9 pitchers in an inner-city game on Tuesday with Ironton posting a 12-7 win.
Ironton (3-3) used 4 pitchers and St. Joseph 5 as they two teams played their rosters.
“Our defense just didn’t make some plays that hurt us. You can’t do that against a team like Ironton. They’re pretty good. But we battled and I was proud of that,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant.
The Flyers took a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Matt Sheridan walked, stole second and third and scored on a hit by Jackson Rowe.
Ironton came back to score 5 runs in the second — 2 were unearned — and take the lead.
With one out, Kyle Howell doubled and scored on a hit by Cole Freeman. Ashton Duncan sacrificed the runner for the second out and Connor Kleinman singled in the run.
Trevor Kleinman tripled to score Connor Kleinman and he scored when Jon Wylie was safe on an error. Jacob Sloan followed with a triple to score Wylie.
St. Joseph got a run back in the bottom of the inning.
Michael Mahlmeister and Drew Brown singled, Brady Medinger put down a sacrifice bunt and Jimmy Mahlmeister squeezed home a run.
Ironton (3-3) came back with a 3-run rally in the fifth to lead 8-2.
Sloan walked, Ryan Ashley singled and Nate Bias doubled home a run. Kyle Howell hit his third double of the game driving in Ashley and Bias.
The Fighting Tigers opened the game up with 3 more runs in the sixth.
With one out, Wylie and Sloan walked and Peyton Aldridge singled home Wylie and then Sloan scored on the throw.
Rocky White was hit by a pitch and Chayden Kearns drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
The final Ironton run came in the seventh on a 2-out RBI single by Sloan after Trevor Kleinman walked and Wylie was hit by pitch.
The Flyers (2-1) got 5 runs in the seventh.
Darren Harvey walked, Matthew Heighton was hit by a pitch, and Mark Hodges and Jimmy Mahlmeister both walked. Sheridan hit into a double play as a run scored.
Rowe reach on an error to score Hodges and Blake Stuntebeck doubled in a run. J.C. Damron then tripled to make it 12-7.
But Connor Kleinman — the fourth Ironton pitcher — came on and got a strike out to end the game.
Ironton hosts Coal Grove on Wednesday and visits Gallipolis on Friday. St. Joseph entertains South Gallia on Wednesday and Green on Thursday.
Ironton 050 033 1 = 12 11 2
St. Joseph 110 000 2 = 6 4 2
Trevor Kleinman, Ashton Duncan (5), Ryan Ashley (7), Connor Kleinman (7) and Cole Freeman. Jackson Rowe, Blake Stuntebeck (3), Matt Sheridan (6), Jimmy Mahlmeister (7), J.C. Damron (7) and Michael Mahlmeister. W-T. Kleinman (IP-4.0, H-3, R-2, ER-2, K-3, BB-1). Duncan (IP-2.0, H-1, K-2). Ashley (IP-0.2, R-3, ER-3, BB-3). C. Kleinman (IP-0.1, H-2, R-2, ER-0). L- Rowe (IP-2.0, H-5, R-5, ER-3, K-0, BB-1). Stuntebeck (IP-3.0, H- 4, R-3, ER-3, K-2, BB-2). Sheridan (IP-1.0, H-1, R-3, ER_3, K-1, BB-2). J. Mahlmeister (IP-0.2, R-1, ER-1, K-1, BB-2). Damron (IP-0.1, K-1). Hitting-Ironton: Trevor Kleinman 1-3 3B RBI, Jacob Sloan 2-3 3B 2-RBI, Ryan Ashley 1-3, Nate Bias 1-3 2B RBI, Kyle Howell 3-3 3-2B 2-RBI, Cole Freeman 1-3 RBI, Connor Kleinman 1-4 RBI, Peyton Aldridge 1-2 RBI, Chayden Kearns SF RBI; StJ: Jimmy Mahlmeister 2-RBI, Matt Sheridan 1-3 2B, Jackson Rowe 1-4 RBI, Blake Stuntebeck 1-4 2B RBI, Michael Mahlmeister 1-4, Drew Brown 1-2.