Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

AID — Talk about making things “Payne-ful” for the other team.

Kaitlyn Payne struck out nine and walked two as she fashioned a one-hitter to lead the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings to a 7-0 Southern Ohio Conference win over the Western Lady Indians on Wednesday.

Payne had a no-hitter until two outs in the seventh inning when Kylie Tong singled to left field on an 0-2 pitch.

“Payne did a excellent job as usual. It came down to virtually the final pitch. She kept them off-balance and we scored enough to win,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep.

The Lady Vikings (8-0, 5-0) got off to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Stephanie Brown reached on an error and scored on Taylor Webb’s triple. Payne got a sacrifice fly and then Tiara Hatfield doubled and Sarah Kingery singled.

Brown and Payne had doubles in the third for a 4-0 lead.

The final three runs scored in the fourth.

Kingery singled, Caitlyn Carpenter was safe on an error, Kara Saunders walked and a wild pitch scored a run. Hannah Mays singled for a run and Brown was safe on an error to score the final run.

Kingery and Mays each went 2-3 with an RBI to pace an 8-hit attack.

Symmes Valley visits Eastern on Thursday.

Western 000 000 0 = 0 1 4

Sym. Valley 301 300 x = 7 8 0

Erin Brewster and Kylie Tong. Kaitlyn Payne and Tiara Hatfield. W-Payne (K-9, BB-2). L-Brewster (K-1, BB-1). Hitting-Western: Kylie Tong 1-3; SV: Sarah Kingery 2-3 rbi, Hannah Mays 2-3 rbi, Tiara Hatfield 1-3 2B rbi, Kaitlyn Payne 1-2 2B rbi-2, Taylor Webb 1-3 3B, Stephanie Brown 1-4 2B rbi.