The Ironton Fighting Tigers will challenge the Portsmouth Trojans at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Ironton 3.1, Portsmouth 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Ironton's offense. They came up short against Boyd County last Tuesday, falling 9-0. That makes it the first time this season the Fighting Tigers have let down their home crowd.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth got themselves on the board against Dawson-Bryant on Wednesday, but Dawson-Bryant never followed suit. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over the Hornets. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won nine matches by ten runs or more so far this season.
Trevin Brooks was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Leelind Scurlock looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
Back at the plate, Jacob Roth was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Camron Williams, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Portsmouth has been performing well recently as they've won 13 of their last 16 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Ironton, their defeat dropped their record down to 15-3.
Ironton skirted past Portsmouth 4-3 when the teams last played back in April. Will the Fighting Tigers repeat their success, or do the Trojans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
