AID - There are two important aspects of softball. Lori Harmon always seems to provide at least one.

Harmon provided the pitching Monday as she threw a one-hitter to lead the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings to a 4-0 shutout of the Green Lady Bobcats in the Southern Ohio Conference opener for both teams.

Harmon racked up 15 strikeouts and walked only one in going the distance. Meagan Pierce singled in the fourth inning for the only Green hit.

"We had good pitching and good defense, which is what it takes to win. Harmon threw the ball well," Lady Vikings coach Jeff "Odie" Estep said.

Symmes Valley snapped a scoreless tie with three runs in the fifth inning.

With one out, Cassie Myers walked, stole second, and scored on a single by Stephanie Burns. Harmon doubled to center as Burns scored, and Kayla Bowman smacked an RBI double.

The Lady Vikings added an insurance run in the sixth inning.

Jodi Black had a lead off single, Kristen Crabtree put down a sacrifice bunt, and Myers was safe on an error that allowed Black to score.

Myers and Rebecca Capper each went 2-3 to pace the Vikings.

Symmes Valley, 1-0 overall and in the SOC, hosts Portsmouth Notre Dame Tuesday. Green is 1-1 and 0-1 in the SOC.

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Erika Hall and Perkins. Lori Harmon and Megan Coomes. W-Harmon (15-K,1-W). L-Hall (3-K, 0-W). 2B-SV: Lori Harmon, Kayla Bowman. Hitting-Green: Meagan Pierce 1-2; Symmes Valley: Cassie Myers 2-3, Rebecca Capper 2-3, Stephanie Burns 1-4, Lori Harmon 1-3, Kayla Bowman 1-3, Erin Martin 1-2, Jodi Black 1-3.