AID – Jarrod Keaton doesn’t like a lot of activity.

Wednesday, March 28, 2001

AID – Jarrod Keaton doesn’t like a lot of activity. The Coal Grove Hornets senior pitcher kept things inactive Tuesday as he scattered just five hits and struck out 11 in a 6-1 win over the Symmes Valley Vikings.

Keaton did not walk a batter as he went the distance in the six-inning game that marked the start of the season for both teams.

"Jarrod threw the ball well for the first time out. The big thing was his control. He was throwing strikes," Hornets coach John Jones said.

Keaton was also a factor at the plate as he drove in a pair of runs.

Symmes Valley got a strong pitching effort from Adam Corn who fanned seven and allowed just one walk in four innings of work.

"This was a good game. There was good pitching and some good plays in the field," Vikings coach Rusty Webb said. "Keaton did a nice job against us. It was a well-pitched game. We made too many mistakes, but we’re young and we’ll get better. We saw a lot of positive things to build from.

"Adam Corn did a nice job for his first outing of the year. If we’re going to compete in the SOC, we need him to continue to have outings like that."

Each team scored a run in the second.

Coal Grove got going when Timmy Harrison singled, went to second on an errant pickoff attempt, and took third on a wild pitch. Tyler Waller then bounced a ball off the pitcher’s glove as Harrison scored.

The Vikings got their run in the bottom of the inning when Corn and Joseph Patterson singled to start the inning and Michael Roth reached on an error.

The Hornets broke the tie with three runs in the fifth.

Waller led off with a walk, took second on a passed ball, Josh Wheeler then reached on a missed third strike, and Ryan Brown was safe on an error as Waller scored.

Keaton then delivered a two-run single to cap the rally.

The final two Coal Grove runs scored in the sixth.

Harrison was safe on an error, Waller walked, and Wheeler had an RBI single. Brown lofted a sacrifice fly to score Waller with the final run.

Corn and Patterson each went 2-for-3 for the Vikings

Coal Grove 010 032 – 6 4 2

Sym. Valley 010 000 – 1 5 5

Jarrod Keaton and Josh Wheeler. Adam Corn, Billy McCarty (5) and Joseph Patterson. W-Keaton (11-K, 0-W). L-Corn (7-K, 1-W). (McCarty 2-K, 3-W). W-Keaton (11-K, 0-W). L-Corn (7-K, 1-W). (McCarty 2-K, 3-W). Hitting-SV: Adam Corn 2-3, Joseph Patterson 2-3, Josh Robinson 1-3; Coal Grove: Jarrod Keaton 1-3, Andy Dean 1-2, Timmy Harrison 1-3 (2-R), Tyler Waller 2-W, 2-R, Josh Wheeler 1-3.