Lady Vikings ignore rain delay, roll past Lady Bobcats into district finals

WELLSTON — Not even a 70-minute rain delay could ruin the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings’ appetite.

Behind the one-hit pitching of Brenna Tibbs and the home run power of Maci Bland and Marley Ferguson, the Lady Vikings rolled past the Green Lady Bobcats 16-0 in a run rule win in the Division 7 district semifinals on Tuesday.

“The group of girls has a lot of experience and they are hungry,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep. “This bunch of kids gets up for the occasion no matter the obstacles in their way, whether it’s a good team, a good pitcher or the weather.”

Tibbs struck out 13 and walked two to get the win. She threw 76 pitches with 54 being strikes.

Bland went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and 5 runs batted in. Ferguson was 3-3 with a home run and 3 RBI.

Symmes Valley (24-3) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Tibbs reached on an error, stole second and Bland singled in Tibbs. Marley Ferguson singled, the runners moved up on a wild pitch and Kaycee Thompson hit a sacrifice fly.

The lead went to 5-0 in the second inning.

Addi Ridenour reached on a one-out error, Tibbs hit into a force play and Bland followed with a two-run home run to center field.

Ferguson made it back-to-back blasts as she hit a solo home run to center field.

The Lady Vikings blew the game open with nine runs in the third inning and it was 14-0.

Alyssa Waugh walked leading off and scored on a double Tibbs. Bland doubled for a run and Ferguson hit her second home run to center field.

An out later, Waugh doubled and Natalie Simpson singled her home. Lindsey Freeman and Addy Hawk followed with singles to cap the rally.

The final two runs scored in the fourth inning.

Tibbs and Bland doubled for a run, Ferguson and Thompson were hit by pitches to load the bases and Lindsey Freeman singled in the final run.

Symmes Valley had 15 hits with Tibbs 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI, Waugh, Simpson and Hawk all 1-2 with a double, Freeman 2-3 with an RBI, and Saunders 1-1 with an RBI.

“Everyone contributed,” said Estep. “We got good pitching, good hitting, and good defense. This bunch cheers for each other. Our seniors are good leaders but the other girls are leaders, too.”

Addison Brown was 1-2 as she got the lone hit for Green (13-14) when she got a one-out single in the fourth inning.

Green  000 00 = 0 1 3

Sym. Valley 239 2x = 16 15 0

Baylee Bridges and Jayden Neal. Brenna Tibbs and Kaycee Thompson. W-Tibbs (IP-5.0, H-1, R-0, ER-0, K-13, BB-2). L-Bridges (IP-4.0, H-15, R-16, ER-12, K-3, BB-3). Hitting–Green: Addison Brown 1-2; Symmes Valley: Brenna Tibbs 2-4 2-2B RBI, Maci Bland 4-4 2-2B HR 5-RBI, Marley Ferguson 3-3 HR 3-RBI, Kaycee Thompson RBI, Alyssa Waugh 1-2 2B, Natalie Simpson 1-2 RBI, Lindsey Freeman 2-3 RBI, Lydia Saunders 1-1 RBI, Addy Hawk 1-2 RBI.