AID -- The Symmes Valley Vikings outside hopes of sharing the Southern Ohio Conference baseball championship came to an end.

The Vikings lost 8-2 to the East Tartans Wednesday, thus ending their slim hopes of sharing the title with New Boston.

Symmes Valley is now 15-3 overall and finishes 9-3 in the SOC. New Boston is 10-0 in the SOC with just two games to play.

"Our kids played hard," Vikings coach John Coriell said. "The kids never gave up and I was proud that they came back and scored in the last inning. That showed a lot of character."

The Vikings will play Portsmouth Clay Thursday at Lucasville Valley in the Division IV district tournament semifinals.

After a scoreless first, East got three runs in each the second and third innings.

In the second, Yates singled, Peters reached on an error, Arms and Carter walked for a run, King walked, and Ians hit a sacrifice fly.

In the third, Brown doubled and Yates singled for a run. Peters was safe on a fielder's choice, Arms walked, Carter was safe on an error, and King had a sacrifice fly.

A run scored in the fourth when Stapleton walked, Brown singled, and Yates hit a sacrifice fly.

The final run scored in the fifth when Arms doubled and came around to score on King's second sacrifice fly and East's fourth of the game.

Symmes Valley got its two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Eric Holland doubled, Chad Artrip reached on an error, and Nathan Pinkerman singled.

East0331100--872

Sym. Valley0000002--233

Billy Yates and Carter. Michael Roth, Kyle Gilmore (4) and Eric Holland. W-Yates. L-Roth. Jim Walker/The Ironton Tribune