Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
IRONTON — Ironton entered the bottom of the seventh inning on Monday night needing two runs to, at the very least, prolong the game.
And by the time the night was over, the Tigers were celebrating an OVC championship.
Miley Bias, who was 0-for-3 heading into her final at-bat, smacked a rocket down the left field line for the game-winning RBI single to put an exclamation point on a three-run seventh to seal a 6-5 victory over South Point.
“We knew South Point was going to come after us, and I told the girls that there’s no reason to be tense or nervous and simply just play like it’s another game,” Ironton coach Haylee Stevens said. “It’s good to be nervous, but you can’t let that prevent you from playing the game. We played the game inning-by-inning and out-by-out, and Miley came up with a huge hit to win the game. I couldn’t be more proud of her, or the girls for how they fought.”
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
For Stevens, what started as a day of heartbreak ended with a moment of relief and jubilee.
“My grandma passed away [Monday] morning. I didn’t know that the girls already knew that when I got to the field, but I told them that I was coaching for her today,” Stevens said. “This is a special moment to see the girls show up and do this, not just for them, myself or my grandma, but also for the seniors. I’ve only coached them for one year, but I wouldn’t have wanted to start my coaching career with any other group.”
Kota Copley got the game started for South Point (15-7, 9-3 OVC) with a single, and Addison Copley followed with an RBI double into deep left field to put the Pointers ahead 1-0 in the early goings.
Ironton (15-6, 11-0 OVC) answered by loading the bases with a pair of Pointer errors and a walk. A passed ball during the next at-bat allowed Breagan Thomas to cross the dish, tying the game at 1-1.
The Pointers, however, were bringing the fight and Kota Copley, who stepped to the dish with two outs and a runner on in the second, ripped an RBI triple down the right field line before scoring on the throw to make it 3-1.
PHOTOS: Images from Ironton’s win over South Point
Ironton had an answer, though, in the bottom of the fourth when Kenley Neal took an 0-1 pitch for a long ride over the left field fence for a solo blast. Later in the inning, with two runners on, Ryleigh Kouns notched an RBI groundout, tying the game at 3-3.
The fifth was all Addison Copley.
She opened the inning by launching a two-run bomb over the center field fence to put her team ahead 5-3. And, defensively, she made a leaping, acrobatic catch before following it up by robbing a home run to end the inning.
South Point had all momentum heading to the top of the seventh, but it left the bases loaded to keep the Tigers within striking distance.
“That was exactly what we needed. Escaping that jam was huge, especially after intentionally walking a batter to load the bases,” Stevens said. “Ava [Bihl] deserves a lot of credit for how she handled that situation. She came back and fired a strikeout, then got a groundout to get us out of the inning. And that’s who she is. Anytime she’s faced with adversity, she’s so resilient and figures a way out.”
Kouns led off with a single in the bottom of the seventh, and Jenna Compliment followed by taking the first pitch into left field for the RBI double, closing the gap to 5-4.
That set up Layla Townsend, who notched an RBI single into left field to tie the game. South Point decided to intentionally walk the next two batters, loading the bases.
Bias took offense to that and then took the first pitch she saw into left field for the conference-title victory.
“We’ve always told the game to pass the bat. No matter what happens, whether it’s an out or you get on base, pass the bat and have each other’s backs,” Stevens said. “I’m super proud because we’ve been in those situations, like Wheelersburg [in a 3-2 loss] last week, and it didn’t work out in our favor. I told the girls that we’re going to be in that type of situation again and it’ll work out for us, and it happened tonight.”
Compliment finished 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Neal was 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI.
Townsend, Kouns and Bias each had a hit and an RBI. Ava Bihl earned the win in the circle in seven innings of work, striking out 14 batters.
For South Point, Kota Copley took the loss, allowing six hits, and striking out three batters. She also went 4-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Addison Copley finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBIs.
Ironton defeated Rock Hill in conference play on Wednesday, and returns to action on Thursday at Gallia Academy. South Point knocked off Chesapeake on Tuesday and faces Portsmouth at home on Thursday.
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