Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

AID — The Symmes Valley Lady Vikings wish they could use an eraser on the fifth inning.
Portsmouth Clay used seven unearned runs in the fifth inning to beat the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings 9-1 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Friday.
“One inning was it. We made some nice plays in the field. We threw four runners out at home. But we had that one bad inning that did us in,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep.
“We just have to keep working. It hasn’t been one or two kids. We just have to keep our heads up and keep practicing.”
Clay took a 2-0 lead in the second and Symmes Valley came back for a run in the bottom of the inning.
With two outs, Emily Estep walked, Kelsey Gothard reached on an error, Emily Sharp was safe on a fielder’s choice and Sarah Kingery had an RBI single.
Clay (10-3, 7-0) broke the game open with seven runs in the fifth inning thanks to four Symmes Valley errors.
The Lady Vikings (5-5, 4-3) had seven hits with Kingery going 2-4 with an RBI and Taylor Webb 2-3.
Symmes Valley hosts Green on Monday.
Ports. Clay    020    070    0    =    9    8    2
Sym. Valley    010    000    0    =    1    7    7
Hannah Oliver and Cassidy Wells. Kara Saunders and Ericca Ross. W-Oliver (K-2, BB-2). L-Saunders (K-2, BB-2). Hitting-Clay: Cassidy Wells 2-4, Shae Vassar 1-4, Jensen Warnock 1-4, Julia Swain 1-4, Hannah Oliver 1-3, Megan Bazler 1-4, Ryanna Bobst 1-4; SV: Sarah Kingery 2-4 rbi, Taylor Webb 2-3, Kara Saunders 1-4, Emily Estep 1-2, Emily Sharp 1-3.