AID - The old one-two punch meant three wins.

Good pitching and good hitting enabled the Symmes Valley Vikings to pick up three Southern Ohio Conference wins last week and remain unbeaten.

The Vikings swept Western Pike 12-1 and 13-3 in a doubleheader on Saturday after beating New Boston 5-2 last week.

"We're getting good pitching and timely hitting. If we can continue to play this way, we'll be in the race," Vikings coach John Patterson said.

In Saturday's first game, Chase Higgins went the distance to get the win as he allowed just two hits, struck out 10 and walked five.

The Vikings combined five walks with an RBI single by Jesse Myers to take a 6-0 lead in the first inning.

Kyle Gilmore doubled and Cory Burcham singled to trigger a three-run second inning. Chad Artrip walked, Caleb Bland singled and Artrip later stole home.

Justin Holland singled and Myers doubled for the final run.

The lead went to 12-1 in the third.

Matt Owens doubled, stole third and came home on a passed ball. Burcham singled, stole second and third and came home on a passed ball. Bland walked and came around to score on a hit by Holland.

In the second game, Matt Owens threw a two-hitter as he struck out 12 and walked just one to pace the Vikings 13-3 spanking in six innings.

Symmes Valley had another six-run first inning followed by three more runs in the second en route to the easy win.

Gilmore and Myers had doubles to trigger the offensive output. Myers was 2-2 while Burcham and Holland each went 2-3.

The two wins came on the heels of a 5-2 win over the New Boston Tigers last Wednesday in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

New Boston took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a passed ball.

Symmes Valley came back to score four in the fourth inning.

Artrip walked and Bland slammed a two-run homer to put the Vikings up 2-1. Justin Holland singled, Higgins walked and Myers singled for a run. Kyle Meadows then put down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away at first base, allowing Higgins to score.

After New Boston scored in the top of the sixth, the Vikings got a run in the bottom of the inning as Justin Holland, Higgins and Myers all singled.

Symmes Valley is 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the SOC. The Vikings host Portsmouth Clay Monday.

Wednesday’s Game

New Boston1000010-251

Sym. Valley000401x-583

Perry and Hickman. Cory Burcham and Justin Holland. W-Burcham (6-K, 4-W). L-Perry (3-K, 1-W). HR-Symmes Valley: Caleb Bland. Hitting-New Boston: Marshall 1-2, Humming 1-3, Day 1-3, Marty Mohr 1-3, Michael 1-3; Symmes Valley: Kyle Gilmore 1-4, Cory Burcham 1-3, Caleb Bland 1-3, Justin Holland 2-3, Chase Higgins 1-2, Jesse Myers 2-3 (2 rbi), Kyle Meadows 1-2.

Saturday's Games

First Game

Sym. Valley63300-1282

Western

10000-120

Chase Higgins and Justin Holland. McLeod and Lambert. W-Higgins (10-K, 5-W). L-McLeod. 2B-SV: Kyle Gilmore, Jesse Myers, Matt Owens. Hitting-Symmes Valley: Kyle Gilmore 1-2, Cory Burcham 2-3, Holland 2-3, Jesse Myers 2-2, Matt Owens 1-2; Western: Stattlerfield 1-1, Ryan Robb 1-2.

Second Game

Sym. Valley631111-13102

Western001200-321

Matt Owens and Michael White. White and Scharbrough. W-Owens (12-K, 1-W). L-White. 2B-SV: Matt Owens 2, Mike Humphrey. 3B-Western: Ott. Hitting-Symmes Valley: Jon Dillon 1-4, Matt Owens 3-4, Kyle Meadows 1-2, Mike Humphrey 2-4, Derek Carpenter 1-4, Justin Chaffin 1-2; Western: Ott 2-3.