Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

AID — Pitching and timely hitting are a nice combination.
So are the Symmes Valley Vikings’ pitchers.
Layken Gothard and Devin Renfroe combined on a three-hitter as the Vikings beat the Portsmouth Notre Dame Titans 7-4 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Monday.
“Notre Dame has a good program. We were able to get the bat on the ball and score some runs. Our pitchers threw well and got the outs we needed,” said Vikings’ coach Chad Renfroe.
Gothard went five innings to get the win. He struck out 10, walked four and allowed one hit and one earned run.
Renfroe worked two innings for the save as he struck out two and walked three.
After Notre Dame got two runs in the third, the Vikings took the lead with four runs in the fifth inning.
Brock Carpenter doubled, Keifer Wilson singled and Gothard had a two-run single. Derik Brace singled in a run, Griffin Hill walked and Austin Mannon had an RBI single.
The Vikings got the three deciding runs in the sixth.
Wilson was hit by a pitch, Brace singled, Nick Klaiber and Hunter Adams had RBI singles and Hill grounded out as a run score.
Brace went 3-for-4 to pace a nine-hit attack. Carpenter and Wilson were 1-2 and Gothard 1-3. Carpenter and Gothard had doubles.
C.J. Corns was 2-3 for the Titans.
The Vikings hosts Sciotoville East on Tuesday and visit Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Notre Dame    002    000    2    =    4    3    2
Sym. Valley    000    043    x    =    7    9    2
C.J. Corns, Caleb Nichols (3), Tyler Speas (5) and Ethan Kammer. Layken Gothard, Devin Renfroe (6) and Derik Brace. W-Gothard (K-10, BB-4, ER-1). Save-Renfroe (IP-2, R-2, K-2, BB-3). L-Nichols (IP-2-2, K- 4, BB-2, R-4, H-4). Corns (K-6, BB-2). Speas (IP-1.1, H-4, K-3, BB-1, R-3). Hitting-PND: C.J. Corns 2-3, Caleb Nichols 1-3 2B; SV: Layken Gothard 1-3 2B, Derik Brace 3-4, Nick Klaiber 1-4, Hunter Adams 1-4, Austin Mannon 1-4, Brock Carpenter 1-2 2B, Keifer Wilson 1-2.