By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

PROCTORVILLE — There’s a disease in baseball that all hitters hope reach epidemic proportions.

It’s called hitting.

Fairland struggled at the plate early, but once they got started they kept going as the Dragons beat the Chesapeake Panthers 13-3 in five innings on Wednesday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.

“We didn’t hit early, but someone hit the ball hard and it was ‘here we go.’ Hitting is contagious,” said Fairland coach Bryan Ward.

Josh Ross was 2-2 with three runs batted in to lead the Dragons offense. Corey Barker was 2-3, Dylan Murphy 1-2 with three RBI, Matt Aliff 1-2 with two RBI and Evan Russell 1-1 and two RBI.

Kyle Raines got the win. He allowed four hits, struck out eight, walked two and hit two batters.

After Chesapeake took a 3-0 lead in the third inning, the Dragons scored five in the bottom of the inning.

Blaine Fuller reach on an error and Barker had an RBI double, Raines was safe on an error and a balk scored a run.

Ross and Aliff doubled in runs and Murphy singled home another run.

The lead went to 8-3 in the fourth.

Eric Riley reached on an error and Barker had an RBI hit. Alex Thackston, Ross and Murphy all walked for a run and Aliff hit a sacrifice fly.

The Dragons (6-3, 4-1) put the game way with five runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Riley was hit by a pitch and Barker, Thackston and Raines all walked for a run. Ross singled in two runs, Murphy walked and Russell singled to drive in two runs and end the game.

Chesapeake 102 00 = 3 4 4

Fairland 005 35 = 13 7 3

Bare, Henson (5), Browning (5) and Brandon Noble. Kyle Raines and Josh Ross. W-Raines (K-8, BB-2, HBP-2). L-Bare. 2B-Fairland: Corey Barker, Josh Ross, Matt Aliff. Hitting-Chesapeake: Lester 1-3, Eddy 1-3, Bare 1-3 rbi, Walters 1-2 rbi; Fairland: Corey Barker 2-3 rbi, Josh Ross 2-2 3-rbi, Dylan Murphy 1-2 3-rbi, Matt Aliff 1-2 2-rbi, Evan Russell 1-1 2-rbi.