ROME TOWNSHIP, Ohio òòò½ÊÓƵ” Fans sometimes say theyòòò½ÊÓƵ™re happy with losing every other game as long as their team beats its archrival.
Fairland (1-18, 1-11 Ohio Valley Conference) did just that Tuesday, defeating Chesapeake 8-7 in high school softball at Jim Bailey Field. The Dragons broke a 19-game losing streak dating to 2024.
The Panthers (6-11, 1-11), who won an earlier meeting with Fairland 9-8 in eight innings, took a 3-0 lead and were ahead 4-1 before the Dragons scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to lead 5-4. Chesapeake regained the advantage 6-5 in the top of the fifth, but Fairland countered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to win it.
Jordan Spencer went 3 for 4 with two doubles and three runs batted in for the Dragons. Katie Dehart was 4 for 4 with two RBIs. Ally Shepherd went 3 for 4. Maddie Short was the winning pitcher, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, with four strikeouts and two walks.
For the Panthers, Jaeden Anderson drove in two runs. K.J. Collins and Zoey Thompson each were 2 for 4. Kaydence Easthom stole two bases.
CHESAPEAKE 120 120 0 òòò½ÊÓƵ” 6 7 2
FAIRLAND 001 420 x òòò½ÊÓƵ” 7 11 3
Lafon and Bellomy; Short and Clark.
Hitting: (C) Anderson 2B 2 RBIs, Collins 2-4, Thompson 2-4 2B; (F) Spencer 3-4 2 2B 3 RBIs, Shepherd 3-4 2B, Dehart 4-4 2 RBIs.
COAL GROVE 6, PORTSMOUTH 0: The Hornets (14-3, 11-1 OVC) clinched at least a share of the league title by beating the visiting Trojans (8-14, 6-7).
Coal Grove took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, then tallied five runs in the fifth to make a winner of Abbie Deeds, who struck out 11, walked none and gave up three hits. Rylee Black went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Kasey Vanderhoof was 2 for 3 and Izzy Kitts went 2 for 4.
Madison Boren went 2 for 3 for Portsmouth.
PORTSMOUTH 000 000 0 òòò½ÊÓƵ” 0 3 1
COAL GROVE 000 150 x òòò½ÊÓƵ” 5 10 1
Deeds and Black; Ankrom and Galloway.
Hitting: (P) Boren 3-3 2B, (CG) Black 2-4 2B HR 2 RBIs, Vanderhoof 2-3 2B, Kitts 2-4, Vanderhoof 2B, Hitchcock 2B, Haynes 2B.
ASHLAND 5, JOHNSON CENTRAL 1: Addi Laine whiffed 12 to lead the Kittens (12-12) over the Golden Eagles (18-10) in Paintsville, Kentucky.
Laine limited Johnson Central to three hits and one unearned run. She also went 2 for 4 and drove in one run. Zoey Smith went 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs. Jenna DeLaney went 2 for 4 with a home run. Brookelyn Duckwyler hit a home run. Emma Pinson was 2 for 3.
BOYD COUNTY 9, LAWRENCE COUNTY 8: The Lions (18-10) rallied in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Bulldogs (15-7) in Cannonsburg, Kentucky.
Savanna Henderson and Jaycie Goad each went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Kyli Kouns and Brooke Jacobs each knocked in a pair of runs.
Jadyn Goad went 2 for 3. Jacobs earned the win with one scoreless inning of relief.
FAIRVIEW 8, MARTIN COUNTY 7: The Eagles improved to 7-11 with a triumph over the Cardinals (8-11) at AK Steel Park in òòò½ÊÓƵhland.
Madison Lovingòòò½ÊÓƵ™s 3-for-4, two-RBI effort led Fairview. Paige VanBibber and Kailyn Adkins each went 2 for 4 and plated two runners. Zoey Grant struck out eight in six innings of relief to nail down the win.
Baseball
CABELL MIDLAND 5, BOYD COUNTY 1: The Knights (11-11) broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the fifth inning to win in Ona.
Landon Nida singled and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth. Ethan Eaves doubled in two runs and Seth Hinkle added one in the inning.
Hinkle and Owen Maynard each finished 2 for 3 and Ethan Hatcher was 2 for 4. Maynard earned the win, allowing six hits, striking out six and walking two in throwing a complete game.
Kyle Cordial and Alex Maynard each were 2 for 3 for the Lions (21-4).
BOYD COUNTY 000 010 0 òòò½ÊÓƵ” 1 6 2
CABELL MIDLAND 000 140 x òòò½ÊÓƵ” 5 8 3
Biggs, Slater (2), Nunley (3), Maynard (5), Kelley (6) and Gray; Maynard and McGinnis.
Hitting: (BC) Maynard 2-3, Cordial 2-3, Coleman 2B; (CM) Hatcher 2-3 2B, Waves 2B 2 RBI, Maynard 2-3 2B, Hinkle 2-3.
SOUTH POINT 3, IRONTON 2: The Pointers (6-7, 6-4 OVC) scored three unearned runs, two in the seventh inning, for a walk-off victory over the Fighting Tigers (12-2, 9-1).
Brayden Hanshaw picked up the win in relief.
Ian Ginger and Tanner Kleinman each went 2 for 3 for Ironton.
IRONTON 100 100 0 òòò½ÊÓƵ” 2 6 2
SOUTH POINT 100 000 2 òòò½ÊÓƵ” 3 3 1
Hughes, Freeman (3) and Sutton, Hughes (3); Layman, Hanshaw (6) and Layne.
Hitting: (I) Kerns 2-3, Kleinman 2-3.
LAWRENCE COUNTY 6, WAYNE 0: The Bulldogsòòò½ÊÓƵ™ Eli Fletcher struck out 12 in a shutout of the Pioneers in Louisa, Kentucky.
IRONTON ST. JOE 2, PORTSMOUTH CLAY 1: The Flyers (6-5, 3-4 Southern Ohio Conference) scored twice in the first inning and made the lead hold up in a triumph over the Panthers in Ironton.
Evan Aldridge hurled a five-hitter, fanning six, to earn the win. Beckham Waginger went 2 for 3.
Clay fell to 11-6, including 6-2 in the SOC.
PORTSMOUTH CLAY 000 010 0 òòò½ÊÓƵ” 1 5 3
IRONTON ST. JOE 200 000 x òòò½ÊÓƵ” 2 4 2
Ball and Rider; Aldridge and Waginger.
Hitting: (ISJ) Waginger 2-3.
GREEN 15, NEW BOSTON 0: Kase McIntyre and Mason Neal combined for a no-hitter as the Bobcats (14-4) romped over the Tigers in Franklin Furnace, Ohio, to clinch the SOC Division I championship.
McIntyre was the winner as Green finished 9-1 in the league.
Green led 2-0 before scoring 12 runs in the second inning. Blake Smith went 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Jon Knapp knocked in five runs, Troy Stapleton supplied three RBIs and Landon Kimbler added two. Quincy Merrill went 2 for 3.
SOUTH WEBSTER 1, WHEELERSBURG 0: The Jeeps clinched the SOC Division II title, their first since 1981, by defeating the defending champion Pirates.
Tristan Belford squeezed home Hunter Barnard with the winning run in the fourth inning.
