By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

RIO GRANDE — In a battle between Valleys, this game was up on a mountain top.

In a titanic struggle, the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings edges the Lucasville Valley Lady Indians 4-3 on Wednesday in the Division 4 district semifinals at the University of Rio Grande.

Symmes Valley coach Jeff “Odie” Estep said it was a great high school softball game between two good teams.

“Both teams defenses played well and both pitchers pitched out of jams they had gotten into at times. Hats off to a very good Valley team. We knew going in it was going to be a dogfight,” said Estep.

The Lady Vikings Brenna Tibbs went the distance allow 6 hits, 2 earned runs with 8 strikeouts, 2 walks and a hit batsman.

Lady Indians’ pitcher Emillie Johnson also went the distance giving up 7 hits, 3 earned runs with 4 strikeouts, one walk and a hit batsman.

Symmes Valley led the bases loaded in both the second and fourth innings while Lucasville left runs at second and third in the second and third innings as well as first and second in the seventh.

Symmes Valley (19-7) will play Manchester at 2 p.m. Saturday in the district finals. Manchester beat Miller 6-3 in the first game.

After a scoreless first inning, the Lady Vikings took a 3-0 lead in the second inning.

Jocelyn Carpenter was safe on an error with 2 outs. Jaden McComas singled and a wild pitch put runners at second and third. Addi Ridenour singled both runners home.

Tibbs and Emma Ridenour then followed with singles to produce a run.

Valley (13-11) got a run in the third when Ryleigh Weeks singled with one out, stole second and scored on a double by Johnson.

The Lady Indians tied the game with 2 runs in the top of the fourth.

Emillie Barr led off with a single and Annika Carpenter was hit by a pitch. Madison Montgomery singled home Barr with Carpenter going to third on a deep fly ball by Weeks. Johnson hit into a fielder’s choice as the tying run scored.

But McComas cranked a home run leading off the bottom of the fourth to put the Lady Vikings ahead with the game’s decisive run.

McComas was 2-3 with the home run, Addi Ridenour 1-3 with 2 RBI, Lindsey Freeman 1-3, Emma Ridenour 1-4 with an RBI, and both Simpson and Tibbs 1-4.

Lucas Valley 001 200 0 = 3 6 4

Sym. Valley 030 100 x = 4 7 2

Emillie Johnson and Karsyn Davis. Brenna Tibbs and Jocelyn Carpenter. W-Tibbs (IP-7.0, H-6, R-3, ER-2, K-8, BB-1, HBP-1). L-Johnson (IP-6.0, H-7, R-4, ER-3, K-4, BB-1, HBP-1). Hitting-Lucasville: Emillie Johnson 2-4 2B, Ryleigh Weeks 1-4, Karsyn Davis 1-3, Braxtyn Holbrook 1-3, Madison Montgomery 1-4; Symmes Valley: Jaden McComas 2-3 HR RBI, Addi Ridenour 1-3 2-RBI, Lindsey Freeman 1-3, Desiree Simpson 1-4, Emma Ridenour 1-4 RBI, Brenna Tibbs 1-4.