Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

AID — The message was clear: throw strikes.
Payton Hayes, Nick Klaiber and Chayden Renfroe walked just two batters between them and allowed only two hits as the Symmes Valley Vikings blanked the Western Indians 13-0 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Monday.
“Our pitchers threw strikes and we finally hit the ball. We’ve put too many runners on base and they’ve come around to score so we needed to do a better job of throwing strikes and we did,” said Vikings’ coach Chad Renfroe.
“We hit the ball pretty solid and Western’s pitcher threw the ball pretty good.”
The Vikings settled the outcome quickly with an 11-run first inning.
Laykin Gothard was hit by a pitch, Hayes reached on an error, and Klaiber had a two-run single.
Two batters were hit by a pitch, Austin Mannon had a two-run single, Gothard and Hayes both followed hit two-run doubles and Renfroe drilled an RBI double to fuel the uprising.
The Vikings got a run in the second when Levi Cade and Gothard walked and Hayes had an RBI single.
The lead went to 13-0 in the fourth when Renfroe singled, Jack Leith walked and Kyle Matuiewicz singled in the run.
The Vikings are at South Point on Tuesday and Western on Wednesday.
Western    000    00    =    0    2    4
Sym. Valley    (11)10    1x    =    13    12    0
Jacob Branscomb and Shane Tackett. Payton Hayes, Nick Klaiber (3), Chayden Renfroe (5) and Derek Brace. W-Hayes (K-3, BB-2). (Klaiber K-2, Renfroe (K-2). L-Branscomb. Hitting-LW: Alex Humphrey 1-2, Jacob Branscomb 1-2; SV: Laykin Gothard 1-2 2B, Payton Hayes 2-4 2B, Chayden Renfroe 2-4 2B, Nick Klaiber 2-3, Derek Brace 1-2, Austin Mannon 1-2, Kyle Matusiewicz 1-1, Levi Cade 1-1, Grant Carpenter 1-2.