Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

AID — Tanner Mays proved to be the definition of clutch.

Mays belted a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Symmes Valley Vikings to a 6-4 win over the Miller Falcons on Tuesday in the Division IV sectional finals.

“(Miller) was a scrappy team. They beat Trimble, so I knew they’d be a good team. We hit the ball hard but right at them. Fortunately, Tanner got a big hit for us and you expect that out of a senior. He hit the ball well all day,” said Vikings’ coach Chad Renfroe.

Mays went 3-for-4 and a double to go with the home run. Cameron Meadows was 2-3 with a triple and Nick Klaiber was 2-3.

“We played pretty good all night. Jacob Klaiber made two outstanding plays at third base. They showed me something. They kept fighting,” said Renfroe.

Trent Thompson worked the seventh inning to get the win.

Dillon McFann went five innings allowing four runs, two earned, and five hits along with three strikeouts and three walks.

Mays worked a scoreless sixth inning and had two strikeouts and a walk.

The Vikings (15-2) will play North Adams at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in the district semifinals at Chillicothe Veterans’ Stadium. North Adams blanked Whiteoak 9-0 on a no-hitter by Trey Meade.

The Vikings took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Payton Hayes walked, Mays singled but Hayes was thrown out at home. Mays moved up on the play and Jacob Klaiber singled him home. Meadows tripled in Klaiber.

The lead went to 3-0 in the second when Tylor Carpenter singled, went to third on a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice and scored on Nick Klaiber’s single.

Miller cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth.

Garrett Bartley singled, Cole Geil reach on an error and Tylor Newman walked to load the bases. The first run scored on a ground out and the second came home on a passed ball.

The Falcons took a 4-3 lead in the sixth.

Dakota Wilson and Colton Brown singled and a walk loaded the bases. A force out at second scored the tying run and a throwing error on the relay to first base sent home the go-ahead run.

But Nick Klaiber singled with one out and McFann singled with two outs in the seventh inning to set up Mays’ game-winning blast on a 3-1 pitch.

Newman took the loss as he struck out five, walked one, gave up 10 hits and all six runs were earned.

Miller 000 022 0 = 4 6 1

Sym. Valley 210 000 3 = 6 10 2

Tylor Newman and Nick Morgan. Dillon McFann, Tanner Mays (6), Trent Thompson (7) and Cameron Meadows. Hitting–CM: Garrett Bartley 1-4, Cole Geil 1-3, Tylor Newman 1-2 2B, Chris Gamble 1-3 2B, Dakota Wilson 1-4, Colton Brown 1-2; SV: Dillon McFann 1-4, Tanner Mays 3-4 2B HR, Jacob Klaiber 1-3, Cameron Meadows 2-3 3B, Tylor Carpenter 1-3, Nick Klaiber 2-3.