By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

COAL GROVE — It was a good start for the Symmes Valley Vikings. It just good to get started for Savannah Mart.

The Lady Vikings opened the season with a 9-3 win over the Coal Grove Lady Hornets but for Mart it was good to play again after missing last season with a knee injury.

Brenna Tibbs started and pitched 3 innings and allowed 2 runs before Mart took over in the fourth and gave up one run, struck out 3 and did not walk a batter.

The Lady Vikings took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning only to have the Lady Hornets tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a double by Jordyn Dale and Rylee Black’s two-run homer.

But the Lady Vikings took the lead for good in the second inning when a run scored on a Coal Grove error, one of 6 for the Lady Hornets on the day.

Desiree Simpson belted a solo home run in the top of the fourth to give the Lady Vikings a 4-2 lead.

Coal Grove got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a single by Black and Avril Klaiber’s RBI double.

Symmes Valley came right back with 2 runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings and added a run in the seventh to set the final score.

The Lady Vikings had 13 hits with Lindsey Freeman going 3-4 with a triple and 3 RBI. Mart was 3-4 with an RBI, Simpson 2-4 with the home run and RBI, McComas 2-4 with a double and Addie Ridenour 1-4.

Black was 2-4 with a home run and 2 RBI, Klaiber 1-3 with a double and RBI and Dale 1-3 with a double.

Abbie Deeds went the distance for Coal Grove giving up 9 runs but only 4 were earned. She allowed 13 hits, struck out 6 and did not issue a walk.

Coal Grove visits Huntington, W.Va., on Tuesday.

Symmes Valley plays at Portsmouth Notre Dame on Wednesday in an early Southern Ohio Conference showdown.

Sym. Valley 210 122 1 = 9 13 1

Coal Grove 200 100 0 = 3 4 6

Brenna Tibbs, Samantha Mart (4) and Jocelyn Carpenter. Abbie Deeds and Rylee Black. W-Mart (IP-4.0, H-2, R-1, ER-1, K-3, BB-0). Tibbs (IP-3.0, H-2, R-2).  L-Deeds (IP-7.0, H-13, R-9, ER-4, K-6, BB-0, WP-2). Hitting-SV: Desiree Simpson 2-4 HR RBI, Samantha Mart 3-4 RBI, Lindsey Freeman 3-4 3B 3-RBI, Jordie Ellison 2-4, Addie Ridenour 1-4, Jaden McComas 2-4 2B; CG: Jordyn Dale 1-3 2B, Rylee Black 2-3 HR 2-RBI, Avril Klaiber 1-3 2B RBI.