Lady Vikings rally back in 7th to clinch SOC title

BEAVER — Give the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings a challenge and see how they respond.

After Friday’s game, it looks like they responded quite well.

In a game where Symmes Valley slugged 4 home runs, the Lady Vikings came from behind in the seventh inning to beat the upset-minded Eastern Lady Eagles 8-5 in a Southern Ohio Conference 2 game.

“There’s no quit in these girls. They are resilient and don’t want to lose,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep.

“We hurt ourselves giving away runs, but the girls stepped up when they had to and got the key hits.”

Symmes Valley moved to 20-2 on the season and 9-0 in the SOC with one game remaining in league play. Eastern is now 16-3 and 7-2 in the SOC.

The game was scoreless until the third inning when 3 became the key number for the Lady Vikings as they scored 3 times.

With two outs, Brenna Tibbs hit a solo home run. Maci Bland then doubled and Marley Ferguson cranked a two-run home run.

The Lady Eagles got a run in the bottom of the inning when Jaidyn McCleese singled, moved up on a ground out, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.

Alyssa Waugh led off the fourth with a home run to put the Lady Vikings up 4-1.

But Eastern answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.

Libby Poorman singled, Lynnleigh McCollister was safe on an error, a passed ball moved the runners up, Paige Helton grounded out for a run and Kami Pollard had an RBI single.

Eastern took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Poorman singled and scored when McCollister reached on a three-base error. Leah Rader followed with a run-scoring single for the lead.

The Lady Vikings rose to the challenge with a four-run rally in the top of the seventh.

Tibbs walked, stole second and scored on a hit by Bland to tie the game. Ferguson walked and Kaycee Thompson dealt the death blow by belting a three-run home run.

Tibbs retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning including a called third strike to end the game.

Tibbs got the win as she gave up 8 hits, no earned runs, struck out nine with no walks.

Bland was 3-3 and Ferguson 2-3 with a home run and 2 RBI to pace a 9-hit attack.

Tibbs was 1-3 with a home run, Thompson 1-4 with the big home run and 3 RBI, Waugh 1-4 with a home run, and Addy Hawk 1-3 with a double.

Rader took the loss with six innings plus of work. She gave up 8 hits, 8 earned runs with 10 strikeouts and 4 walks.

Sym. Valley 003  100  4  =  8  9  3

Eastern 001  202  0  =  5  8  1

Brenna Tibbs and Kaycee Thompson. Leah Rader, Paige Helton (7) and Lynnleigh McCollister. W-Tibbs (IP-7.0, H-8, R-5, ER-0, K-9, BB-0). L-Rader (IP-6.0, H-8, R-8, ER-8, K-10, BB-4). Helton (IP-1.0, H-1, R-0, K-1, BB-0). Hitting–Symmes Valley: Brenna Tibbs 1-3 HR RBI, Maci Bland 3-3 RBI, Marley Ferguson 2-3 HR 2-RBI, Kaycee Thompson 1-4 HR 3-RBI, Alyssa Waugh 1-4 HR RBI, Addy Hawk 1-3 2B; Eastern: Aubrey Quillen 1-4, Braelyn Bevins 1-4, Libby Poorman 2-3, Leah Rader 2-3 RBI, Paige Helton RBI, Kami Pollard 1-3 RBI, Jaidyn McCleese 1-3.