The Ironmen scored six runs in the ninth inning but it was not enough as they left the tying run on third base and lost the season opener 11-10 to the Licking County Settlers.

Trevor Ray got the ball for the Ironmen on the mound and ran into some trouble early. He gave up four runs in the first and the second innings and got pulled after recording just one out in the second inning. 

Justin Liserio came on in relief and got the final two outs in the second inning. 

The Ironmen got on the board in the top of the third inning after a two out two RBI single by Dominic Mittiga to cut the Settler lead to 8-2. 

Liserio came back out in the third and surrendered three more runs as Licking County extended their lead to 11-2. Lorain County tacked on another run in the top of the fourth after a sacrifice fly by Michael Blatchford to make it 11-3. 

From there the Ironmen pitching staff shut the Settlers out the rest of the way as Ryan Lapage and Carter Semancik combined to throw five innings of shutout baseball while giving up just three combined hits. 

The Ironmen got a run in the seventh and entered the ninth inning trailing 11-4. The Settlers sent Ross Wilson to the mound and he could not record an out before being lifted four batters into the inning. The Ironmen fought all the way back to cut the gap to 11-10 with the tying run at third, but Joe Scott Pace struck out to end the game. 

The Ironmen fall to 0-1 on the year and will be back in action Friday night against Lima at 7:05.