Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

CANNONSBURG, Ky. — You Can’t Touch This.
No, it’s not a re-release of M.C. Hammer’s hit song. It’s what the softball appeared to be saying to the Dixie Heights Lady Colonels’ bats.
Ironton freshman Keegan Moore pitched her first career no-hitter as the Lady Fighting Tigers blanked Dixie Heights 3-0 in the Boyd County Showcase on Friday.
In Ironton’s first game, Mary Beth Burton pitched a five-hitter in a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the Greenup County Lady Musketeers.
Moore struck out 15 but walked six as she threw 111 pitches in beating the Lady Colonels (8-6).
Burton provided all the runs Moore really needed as she led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run to left field.
The Lady Fighting Tigers (11-1) added two insurance runs in the third inning.
With one out, Burton, Peighton Rowe and Taiya Hamlet all singled for a run. Hamlet and Rowe tried a double steal with Hamlet thrown out at second but Rowe was able to score.
Dixie Heights managed to get two runners to second base on walks and steals of second.
They had one runner reach third base when Maggie Fields walked, moved up on a wild pitch and stole third base in the top of the third inning only to be left stranded.
Ironton threatened in the second when Moore singled but was thrown out at home on a double by Riley Schreck.
Schreck and Haylee Stevens singled with two outs in the sixth but were left on base.
Burton was 2-2 with Schreck and Moore going 2-3 as Ironton had nine hits.
In the earlier game, Burton struck out eight, walked three and all three runs were earned as she got the complete game win.
McKenzie Crosier took the loss as he gave up nine hits, four earned runs, struck out four and walked just one.
With the score tied at 3, Ironton scored the winning run in the top of the seventh when Kylee Richendollar led off with a double, Kiandra Martin put down a sacrifice and Rowe singled hard to right field scoring pinch-runner Jada Rogers.
In the bottom of the seventh, Burton struck out the first two batters and got a comebacker to end the game.
The game was scoreless until Ironton got a run in the fourth.
Burton singled, Rowe had a sacrifice, Hamlet walked and Moore got a two-out RBI single.
Greenup scored three runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Tigers tied the game with two runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Launa Ratliff and a two-run double by Emma Boggs.
Stevens, Richendollar and Martin all singled to load the bases and Rowe got a clutch two-out, two-run double.
Rowe — who was 1-2 in the late game — went 2-3 with a double and three RBI.
First Game
Ironton 000 120 1 = 4 9 0
Greenup 000 300 x = 3 9 0
Mary Beth Burton and Demi Sands. McKenzie Crosier and Sutton Imel. W-Burton (ER-3, K-8, BB-3). L-Crosier (ER-4, K-4, BB-1). Hitting-Ironton: Mary Beth Burton 1-4, Peighton Rowe 2-3 2B 3-rbi, Demi Sands 1-3, Keegan Moore 1-3 rbi, Haylee Stevens 1-3, Kylee Richendollar 2-3 2B, Kiandra Martin 1-2; GC: Emma Boggs 2-3 2-2B 2-rbi, Micah Ratliff 1-3, Launa Ratliff 2-3 rbi.
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Second Game
Dixie Hts. 000 000 0 = 0 0 0
Ironton 102 000 0 = 3 9 0
Addie Joyce and Brooke Albert. Keegan Moore and Demi Sands. W-Moore (K-15, BB-6). L-Joyce (ER-3, K-3, BB-2). Hitting-Ironton: Mary Beth Burton 2-2 HR, rbi, Peighton Rowe 1-2, Taiya Hamlet 1-3 rbi, Keegan Moore 2-3 2B, Riley Schreck 2-3 2B, Haylee Stevens 1-3.