Lady Vikings edge past Eastern in pitchers' duel

AID — The only thing missing from this pitchers’ duel was having Brenna Tibbs and Leah Rader start the game back-to-back and taking 45 paces to the pitching rubber.

The Symmes Valley Lady Vikings relied on the one-hit pitching of Tibbs while the Eastern Lady Eagles rode Rader’s 3-hit pitching in a pivotal Southern Ohio Conference 2 game on Monday with the Lady Vikings getting a 1-0 win.

Tibbs was dominant with 16 strikeouts and only one walk as she fashioned her one-hitter. Rader was strong as well with 9 strikeouts and 2 walks.

“That was a great game with two pitchers at the top of their game,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep. “We were fortunate to get a run and win the game. That was a big win for us.”

The only run of the game was scored in the first inning.

Tibbs got a leadoff single, stole second and third bases and came home on a one-out single by Marley Ferguson.

The Lady Vikings (14-2, 5-0) threatened in the third inning when Tibbs walked, stole second and third and Ferguson drew a two-out walk to put runners at first and third. But Rader got a strikeout to end the inning.

With one out in the Lady Vikings’ fourth, Addy Hawk reached on a dropped third strike, Alyssa Waugh was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up on a wild pitch.

Rader got a strikeout and then a pop up to her for the final out to end the threat.

Eastern (10-2, 3-1) had only one runner reach second base when Rader singled with one out in the fifth and went to second on a wild pitch.

Tibbs ended the threat by striking out the next two batters.

Tibbs was 1-2, Ferguson 1-2 with an RBI, and Kaycee Thompson 1-3 to account for the Lady Vikings’ hitting.

Eastern 000 000 0 = 0 1 2

Sym. Valley 100 000 0 = 1 3 0

Leah Rader and Lynnleigh McCollister. Brenna Tibbs and Kaycee Thompson. W-Tibbs (IP-7.0, H-1, R-0, K-16, BB-1). L-Rader (IP-6.0, H-3, R-1, ER-0, K-9, BB-2). Hitting–Eastern: Leah Rader 1-2; Symmes Valley: Brenna Tibbs 1-2, Marley Ferguson 1-2 RBI, Kaycee Thompson 1-3.