RIO GRANDE – Three facets.

Saturday, May 13, 2000

RIO GRANDE – Three facets. Three players. With Anthony Owens, Adam Corn, and Justin Myers giving strong performances, the Symmes Valley Vikings played well in all three facets of the game as they whipped the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 12-0 Saturday in the Division IV district semifinals.

Owens was 5-for-5 with three runs batted in, Corn went 3-4 with four RBI, and Myers pitched a two-hitter with 14 strikeouts.

"The kids played well in all three aspects. We hit the ball well, we played good defense, and we had good pitching," Vikings coach Rusty Webb said.

"Myers kept the ball low. All the balls they hit were ground outs. And Anthony Owens and Adam Corn did a great job at the plate."

The Vikings (15-2) had beaten Clay handily in two regular season games. Despite the threat of a letdown, Webb said it never materialized.

"We have beaten them twice, but the kids got up for the game and they were focused. We struggled in the middle innings to get some runs, but the last inning we got our bats going again," said Webb. "This team never gets too high or too low. They play on an even keel."

The Vikings jumped out quickly to a 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Jeremy Simpson was safe on an error, Jeff Ralph sacrificed him to second, and Owens had an RBI single.

Myers walked, Noah Henson singled to load the bases, and Corn had a run-scoring single. Jeremy Copley walked to force in a run, and Billy McCarty reached on an error as the final run scored.

The lead grew to 6-0 in the second.

Ralph had a leadoff single, Owens singled, and Henson was safe on an error to load the bases. Corn then singled home two runs.

The Vikings put the game away with six runs in the seventh inning.

Owens doubled to start the uprising and Joseph Patterson went in to run. Myers singled for the run and Michael Roth went in as a pinch-runner.

Roth stole second, and an infield hit by Henson scored Patterson. Corn followed with a double to score Roth and Henson.

Eric Holland walked and Copley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ralph reached on an error to score a run and Owens’ base hit scored the final two runs.

Symmes Valley, 15-2, faces Leesburg Fairfield at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Rio Grande.

Leesburg beat Eastern Meigs 8-6.

Sym. Valley 420 000 6 – 12 11 1

Ports. Clay 000 000 0 – 0 2 4

Justin Myers and Anthony Owens. Richards, A. Large (7) and M. Large. W-Myers (14-K, 2-W). L-Richards. 2B-SV: Anthony Owens, Adam Corn. Hitting-SV: Anthony Owens 5-5 (3 RBI), Adam Corn 3-4 (4 RBI), Justin Myers 1-4, Noah Henson 1-4, Jeff Ralph 1-4; Clay: Andrew Large 1-3, Davis 1-3.