Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

PROCTORVILLE — Fairland coach Alex Beelen explained his Dragons’ win in two words.

“We battled,” said Beelen after Fairland beat the Rock Hill Redmen 11-4 in an Ohio Valley Conference game on Friday.

“Our hitters just kept plugging away until we finally broke the floodgates.”

Fairland (2-5-1, 1-2) had 13 hits with Seth Clay going 2-4 and two runs batted in, Hayden James and Austin Christian 2-4 and Trace Adkins 2-5 with two RBIs.

Jake Blagg was 2-4 for the Redmen who managed five hits.

Rock Hill got a run in the top of the first when Heath Carpenter doubled, Sean McFann singled him to third and Brandon Schob grounded out.

Fairland tied the game in the second on singles by Eli Bowen, Evan Burcham and Christian.

The Dragons took a 3-1 lead in the third.

Collin Damron and Dairus Stapleton singled, they moved up on a throwing error and Seth Clay had a two-run single.

Rock Hill (4-3, 1-3) went up 4-3 in the top of the fourth.

Kaleb Kidd was safe on an error, Jaret Bacorn walked, Trae Crabtree reached on an error to load the bases, Landon Smith walked to score Kidd and Blagg had a 2-run single.

Fairland took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

James singled, stole second and scored on Adkins’ hit. Tyler George walked and both moved up on an error. Damron hit a sacrifice fly and an error scored the final run.

The Dragons added a run in the fifth when James singled, stole second and third and George singled.

The Dragons blew the game open with four runs in the sixth.

Stapleton was safe on an error, Clay singled, both moved up on a ground out and Burcham was safe when Stapleton was thrown out at home.

Christian and Clay had RBI singles and Adkins delivered a 2-run single.

On Monday in league games, Fairland is at Coal Grove and Rock Hill visits Portsmouth.

Rock Hill 100 300 0 = 4 5 5

Fairland 012 314 x = 11 13 5

Landon Smith (IP3.2), Brandon Schob (4) and Kaleb Kidd. Collin Damron, Seth Clay (4) and Eli Bowen. W-Clay (IP-3.2, K-3). Damron (IP-3.1, K-1, BB-3, H-3, R-4, ER-1). L-Smith (IP-3.1, K-3, BB-2, HBP-1, H-11, 6, ER_4). Schob (IP-2.2, K-2, BB-0, R-5, ER-1). Hitting-RH: Jake Blagg 2-4, Heath Carpenter 1-3 2B, Sean McFann 1-4, Jaret Bacorn 1-2 2B; FHS: Trace Adkins 2-5 rbi-2, Tyler George 1-4 rbi, Collin Damron 1-4 rbi 2B, Dairus Stapleton 1-4, Seth Clay 2-4 rbi-2, Eli Bowen 1-4, Evan Burcham 1-4, Austin Christian 2-4, Hayden James 2-4.