Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

LATHAM — If you give the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings an inch, they’ll take a run.

The Lady Vikings took advantage of four walks and seven errors to rout the Western Lady Indians 10-2 Saturday in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

“We did a good job capitalizing on their mistakes and (Kaitlyn) Payne pitched well. She did another good job of keeping the ball down in the strike zone,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep.

Payne struck out 12 and walked just one as she tossed a four-hitter.

The Lady Vikings took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

Autumn Keathley walked and Amber Bryant hit a fly ball to the outfield that was caught, but the throw back to the infield was wild allowing Keathley to score.

Stephanie Brown singled and scored when Payne reached on an error. After a ground out, two wild pitches scored two more runs.

Western got two runs back in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-2, but Caitlin Carpenter led off the fourth inning with a home run and the Lady Vikings led 5-2.

In the fifth, Brown reached on an error, moved up on a wild pitch and fielder’s choice and scored when Tiara Hatfield grounded out.

The Lady Vikings put the game away with four runs in the sixth.

Brenna Morris and Keathley walked with one out and moved up on a wild pitch. Brown reached on a dropped third strike and a throwing error on the play scored Morris.

Sierra Ross walked, Payne had a two-run singled and Hannah Mays capped the rally with an RBI single.

Sym. Valley 004 114 0 = 10 8 3

Western 002 000 0 = 2 4 7

Kaitlyn Payne and Tiara Hatfield. Brewster and Jackson. W-Payne (K-12, BB-1). L-Brewster (K-5, BB-4). Hitting-SV: Kaitlyn Payne 2-4 rbi-3, Caitlin Carpenter 2-4 rbi, Brenna Morris 1-3, McComas 1-1, Stephanie Brown 1-5, Hannah Mays 1-4; Western: Erin Brewster 2-2, Jackson 1-3, Williams 1-3. HR-SV: Caitlin Carpenter.