By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

LUCASVILLE — It was another case of so close but so far away.

This season, Ironton has had 8 games decided by one run and the Fighting Tigers are only 2-6 in those games.

Five of those games were 2-1 and the only Ironton win was over Wheelersburg.

That 8th one-run game reared its ugly head on Monday as Ironton lost 5-4 to the Lucasville Valley Indians.

Ironton (10-9) went up 1-0 in the top of the third when Jon Wylie singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Trevor Kleinman.

Valley came back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning.

Hunter Edwards led off with a triple, Landon Jones walked and Jace Copley hit into a force play at second as a run scored.

Colt Buckle and Tate Queen walked to load the bases and Chase Morrow beat out and infield roller as the second run scored.

The Fighting Tigers came right back in the top of the fourth to tie the game on shoddy Valley fielding as Nate Bias, Connor Kleinman and Matt Sheridan all reached on errors.

Ironton took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth.

Connor Kleinman was safe on an error and stole second. Sheridan sacrificed Kleinman to third and he scored when Ian Ginger reached on another infield error.

The Indians were guilty of 6 errors for the game.

The lead didn’t last long as George Arnett led off the bottom of the inning with a solo home home run.

Christopher Queen got a single on a pop up that fell just behind the pithing mount. Edwards put down a sacrifice bunt and Jones singled in the run. Copley singled and then Jaekyn Ridout doubled in the third run to make it 5-3.

Ironton got a run in the top of the seventh when Trevor Kleinman singled for his third hit of the game with one out. He stole second, went to third on a fly out by Brady Moatz and scored on a wild pitch.

But the next batter grounded out to end the game.

Trevor Kleinman started for Ironton and went 5 innings

Lucasville Valley (16-2) had 9 hits with Morrow 2-4, Arnett 1-3 with the home run and Copley 1-3 with 2 RBI.

Arnett — the second of 3 pitchers — got the win with Queen the save.

Ironton     001 101 1 = 4 7 0

Lucasville 002 003 x = 5 9 6

Trevor Kleinman, Jacob Sloan (6) and Nate Bias, Ian Ginger (4), Nate Bias (6). Carter Nickel, George Arnett (4), Christopher Queen (7) and Jace Copley. W-Arnett (IP-3.2, H-4, R-3, ER-1, K-3, BB-0). Save-Queen (IP-0.1, H-0, R-0, K-0, BB-0, WP-1). Nickel (IP-3.0, H-3, R-1, ER-1, K-4, BB-1). L-Sloan (IP-1.0, H-5, R-3, ER-3, -1, BB-1, WP-1). Kleinman (IP-5.0, H-4, R-2, ER-2, K-8, BB-3, HPB-1). Hitting-Ironton: Jon Wylie 1-4, Jacob Sloan 1-3, Trevor Kleinman 3-4 RBI, Connor Kleinman 1-3, Chaydan Kerns 1-2; LV: Jaekyn Ridout 1-4 2B, Tate Queen 1-2, Chase Morrow 2-4 RBI, George Arnett 1-3 HR RBI, Christopher Queen 1-3, Hunter Edwards 1-2 3B, Landon Jones 1-1 RBI, Jace Copley 1-3 2-RBI.