Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

AID — Maybe one bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch.
Savannah Mart pitched a complete game and gave up only four earned runs and the Lady Vikings had 11 hits as they withstood a strong seventh inning rally to down the Waterford Lady Wildcats 12-8 to win the Division 4 district semifinal game on Tuesday.
“Savannah pitched well until the seventh and we played really well until the seventh,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep. “We hit the ball well and we didn’t have anyone strike out. We took advantage of the walks.”
Symmes Valley (18-8) will play Peebles at 2 p.m. Saturday at the University of Rio Grande. Peebles upset Portsmouth Clay 3-1.
“These girls have really worked hard this season to make themselves better. We’re young so it’s nice to get some hardware for this group,” said Estep.
After a scoreless first inning, Waterford got two runs in the top of the second.
Taylor Schweickart singled, Josie Elliott fielder’s choice, Kari Carney walked and the runners moved up on a wild pitch. Katie Lowe then reached on an error as both runners scored.
Lauren Wells walked, Jocelyn Carpenter singled, Kylee Jenkins walked to load the bases and Katelyn Stevenson hit into a force play to score a run. Desiree Simpson hit a sacrifice fly and Kylee Thompson had a two-run single.
The Lady Vikings blew the game open with seven runs in the third.
Wells singled, Carpenter, Jenkins and Stevenson walked for a run. Carpenter scored on a wild pitch, Simpson tripled for two runs and Thompson singled in a run.
With two outs, Mart drilled a two-run homer and it was 10-2.
Waterford scored twice in the fourth when Schweikert and Elliott hit back-to-back home runs leading off the inning.
Simpson doubled, went to third on a ground out, Mart walked and stole second and Emily Estep delivered a two-run double.
Waterford tried to make it interesting with a four-run seventh.
Carney singled and Lowe doubled and Lakyn Jones and a two-run single. Brier Offenberger singled, Mackenzie Suprano and Cara Taylor both reached on errors as two runs scored.
But Mart got a fly out and a ground out to end the game.
Simpson went 3-5 with a double, triple and two runs batted in, Mart 2-3 with a home run and two RBI, Thompson 3-5 with three RBI, Estep 1-4 with two RBI, Wells 1-1 and Carpenter 1-2.
Waterford 020 200 4 = 8 8 3
Sym. Valley 037 020 x = 12 11 4
Kari Carney, Wagner (3) and Josie Elliott. Savannah Mart and Jocelyn Carpenter. W-Mart (ER-4, K-5, BB-2). L-Carney (IP-2.1, R-7, ER-4, H-4, K-0, BB-6). Wagner (IP-3.2, R-5, ER-2, H-7, K-0, BB-4). Hitting-WHS: Brier Offenberger 1-4, Cara Taylor 1-4 2B, Taylor Schweikert 2-4 HR, Josey Elliott 1-3 HR, Kari Carney 1-1, Katie Lowe 1-2, Lakyn Jones 1-3; SV: Desiree Simpson 3-5 2-RBI 2B 3B, Savannah Mart 2-3 2-RBI HR, Kylee Thompson 3-5 3-RBI, Emily Estep 1-4 RBI 2B, Lauren Wells 1-1, Jocelyn Carpenter 1-2.