AID -- It was a game of defense. Or lack of.

The Symmes Valley Vikings played error-less baseball while the Coal Grove Hornets made eight. The results was a 14-4 Vikings win Tuesday in a non-league game.

"Kyle Gilmore made a couple of excellent catches again, and Chad Higgins went diving for a ball," Vikings coach John Paul Patterson said. "We played good defense and we hit the ball pretty good. Nathan Pinkerman really hit the ball hard and so did Joseph (Patterson)."

Coal Grove out hit the Vikings 10-7 but lagged on the defensive side. Hornets coach John Jones said the Dragons defense deserved the credit.

"Symmes Valley's defense came up with a great effort to back up their pitcher," Jones said. "You expect to walk a small number of resistance, but you put a few walks with eight errors and with that, this is what happens. Give Symmes Valley credit. They did what they had to in order to win."

The Vikings got a run in the first inning when Cory Burcham walked and Nathan Pinkerman doubled.

Symmes Valley got a run in the second and one in third.

In the second, Chase Higgins walked, Justin Holland reached on a fielder's choice, Terry Elswick was safe on an error, and Burcham grounded out as a runner scored.

Holland was safe on an error, Elswick singled, and Gilmore grounded out as a runner scored.

Coal Grove got two runs back in the top of the fifth with two outs.

Randy Wise and Tommy Pemberton singled to set up Matt Spears' two-run double.

But the Vikings countered with three in the bottom of the frame when Pinkerman was safe on an error, Patterson singled and Bland hit a three-run homer to make it 6-2.

The Hornets closed to within 6-4 in the sixth.

Tim Elliott singled, Aaron Kelly doubled, Aaron Apt singled in a run, and Matt Malone grounded out as a run scored.

But then came the flood of walks and errors as the Vikings scored eight times.

Gilmore walked, Burcham singled, and Pinkerman doubled in a run. An out later, Bland walked, a wild pitch scored a run, and Chad Higgins walked to load the bases.

Holland was safe on an error as two more runs scored. Michael Roth then

walked, Chad Artrip hit into a fielder's choice.

Gilmore doubled home two runs, Burcham was hit by a pitch, and Pinkerman and Patterson reached on errors to score two runs and create the mercy rule win.

Spears and Elliott each went 2-3 and Pemberton 2-4.

Coal Grove000022--4108

Sym. Valley110138--1470

Matt Spears, Nick Bazell (6) and Matt Winters. Chase Higgins and Justin Holland. W-Higgins (3-K, 0-W, 2-HBP). L-Spears (K-2, W-4).

Winters (2-K, 2-W). 2B-CG: Matt Spears 2, Aaron Kelly; SV: Tyler Gilmore, Nathan Pinkerman 2. HR-SV: Caleb Bland. Hitting-Coal Grove: Randy Wise 1-4, Matt Spears 2-3, Tommy Pemberton 2-4, Tim Elliott 2-3, Aaron Kelly 1-3, Aaron Apt 1-1, Matt Malone 1-3; Symmes Valley: Tyler Gilmore 1-4, Cory Burcham 1-3, Nathan Pinkerman 2-5, Joseph Patterson 1-5, Terry Elswick 1-3, Caleb Bland 1-2.