The Ironton Fighting Tigers are taking a road trip to square off against the South Point Pointers at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Ironton had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 14-run drubbing they dealt Dawson-Bryant on Friday. The Fighting Tigers were the clear victors by a 15-1 margin over the Hornets. The victory continues a trend for the Fighting Tigers in their matchups with the Hornets: they've now won nine in a row.
Ironton got a massive performance out of Carson Freeman, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs. Nick Sites also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Ironton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, South Point made sure to put some runs up on the board against Rock Hill on Monday. The Pointers were the clear victors by an 11-5 margin over the Redmen. The win was familiar territory for the Pointers, who have now won three contests in a row.
Brayden Hanshaw made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). He also tossed a walk, which is notable because South Point is 4-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 1-6 otherwise. Hanshaw was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Kolton Layman was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. He has become a key player for South Point: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 1-7 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Ethan Layne, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.
Ironton's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-1. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for South Point, their record is now 5-7.
Ironton took their victory against South Point in their previous matchup two weeks ago by a conclusive 9-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Fighting Tigers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
