Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — Ironton is on a roll and their pitching has been pushing things along.
The Fighting Tigers got another solid pitching performance on Friday in a 7-0 Ohio Valley Conference win over the Coal Grove Hornets.
Jon Wylie went five innings allowing three hits with eight strikeouts and only one walk. Cole Freeman worked 1.2 innings with a hit, two strikeouts and a walk and Cameron Deere struck out the only batter he faced to end the game.
Coal Grove’s Connor Harrison gave a good effort in defeat. He threw a complete game allowing nine hits with four strikeouts and four walks.
Ironton (14-3, 8-1) took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Kyle Howell walked, stole second and went to third on Jon Wylie’s base hit. Deere grounded out as Howell scored and Jacob Sloan followed with an RBI single.
The Fighting Tigers got a run in the third when Deere walked, moved up on a balk, stole third and scored on a throwing error.
Ironton rallied in the sixth to go up 5-0.
Freeman led off the inning with a double and scored on a double by Nate Bias. Ashton Duncan grounded out sending Bias to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Trevor Kleinman.
Freeman came on to relieve Wylie in the bottom of the sixth and the Hornets got runners at second and third with one out. But Freeman got a strikeout and groundout to end the threat.
Ironton added some insurance runs in the seventh.
Wylie led off with a double, and went to third on a hit by Deere who went to second on the throw home. Peyton Aldridge then drilled a one out, 2-run single and it was 7-0.
The Fighting Tigers finished with nine hits as Wylie went 2-3 with a double, Freeman 2-4, and both Aldridge and Bias 1-2 with two RBI.
Tait Matney was 2-for-2 for the Hornets.
Ironton plays at Lewis County, Ky., on Saturday and hosts Gallipolis on Monday. Coal Grove visits Chesapeake on Monday.
Ironton 201 002 2 = 7 9 0
Coal Grove 000 000 0 = 0 4 2
Jon Wylie, Cole Freeman (6), Cameron Deere (7) and Nate Bias. Connor Harrison and Jake Stevens. W-Wylie (IP-5.0, H-3, R-0, K-8, BB-1). Freeman (IP-1.2, H-1, K-2, BB-1). Deere (IP-0.1, K-1). L-Harrison (ER-7, K-4, BB-4, HBP-1, Balk-1). Hitting-Ironton: Kyle Howell 1-2, Jon Wylie 1-2, Jacob Sloan 1-2 RBI, Cole Freeman 1-2 RBI; CG: Tait Matney 1-2, Connor Harrison 1-1. Hitting-Ironton; Kyle Howell 1-3, Jon Wylie 2-3 2B, Cameron Deere 1-2 RBI, Jacob Sloan 1-3 RBI, Peyton Aldridge 1-1 2-RBI, Cole Freeman 2-4, Nate Bias 1-2 2B RBI; CG: Xander Keaton 1-2, Tait Matney 2-2, Connor Harrison 1-2.