Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

AID — Payne was a picture of perfection.

Kaitlyn Payne pitched a five-inning perfect game and the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings blanked the Sciotoville East Lady Tartans 12-0 Thursday to win the Division IV sectional tournament.

Payne struck out 12 of the 15 batters she faced.

“We got nice pitching. Payne was really sharp on the mound. She threw the ball hard, had good control and she had a good changeup,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep.

“And we hit the ball well. We hit well up and down the lineup”

Symmes Valley (15-8) now plays Portsmouth Notre Dame at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the district semifinals at Minford.

The Lady Vikings got a run in the first when Sierra Ross doubled, moved up on a fielder’s choice and scored on a wild pitch.

Symmes Valley broke the game open with six runs in the second.

Hannah Maynard tripled to start the rally and scored when Hannah Mays grounded out. Brenna Morris reached on an error, Caitlin Carpenter walked and Stephanie Brown had an RBI double.

Ross singled home Carpenter and Payne followed with a two-run double. Tiara Hatfield doubled in the final run.

The Lady Vikings got five more runs in the third.

Mays singled and Autumn Keathley hit a home run over the centerfield fence. Brown followed with a solo home run to left.

Ross and Payne then walked, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a hit by Hatfield.

Ross was 2-2 and Hatfield and Brown 2-3 as seven different players combined for 10 hits.

Sciotoville 000 00 = 0 0 2

Sym Valley 165 0x = 12 10 0

Shaylynn Brown and Julie Lockhart. Kaitlyn Payne and Tiara Hatfield. W-Payne (K-12, BB-0). L-Brown (K-1, BB-4). Hitting-SV: Tiara Hatfield 2-3 rbi-3, Stephanie Brown 2-3 rbi-3, Brenna Ross 2-2 rbi, Kaitlyn Payne 1-2 rbi, Hananh Maynard 1-3, Hannah Mays 1-2 rbi, Autumn Keathley 1-1 rbi-2. 2B-SV: Sierra Ross, Tiara Hatfield, Stephanie Brown, Brenna Ross, Kaitlyn Payne. 3B-SV: Hannah Maynard. HR-SV: Autumn Keathley, Stephanie Brown.