Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

NEW BOSTON — The bats were back on track.

After getting just two hits the day before, the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings (7-4, 5-2) had 11 hits to back the four-hit pitching of Kaitlyn Payne who struck out nine and walked two.

Payne also went 3-4 with two doubles while Sierra Ross was 2-3, Hannah Maynard 2-2 and Tiara Hatfield 2-4.

“We hit the ball much better today,” said Lady Vikings’ coach Jeff “Odie” Estep.

Ross, Hatfield and Autumn Keathley all had doubles and Ross hit her first career home run.

Hatfield had a two-run single in the first inning for a 2-0 lead.

The lead went to 5-0 in the second keyed by Maynards’s two-run single.

In the third, Ross slammed a solo home run. Maynard followed with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Keathley.

The Lady Vikings put the game away with six runs in the fifth when Keathley doubled and Ross and Payne each had two-run doubles.

The Lady Vikings host Western on Wednesday.

Sym. Valley 232 06 = 13 11 2

New Boston 011 00 = 2 4 7

Kaitlyn Payne and Tiara Hatfield. Reffitt and Fannin. W-Payne (K-9, BB-2). L-Reffit (K-3, BB-0). Hitting-SV: Kaitlyn Payne 3-4, Sierra Ross 2-3, Hannah Maynard 2-2, Tiara Hatfield 2-4, Stephanie Brown 1-4, Autumn Keathley 1-3; NB: Fannin 1-3, Reffitt 1-3, McGraw 1-3, Mullett 1-2. 2B-SV: Kaitlyn Payne 2, Sierra Ross, Tiara Hatfield, Autumn Keathley. HR-SV: Sierra Ross; NB: Fannin, Reffitt.