By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

AID — Call Gillette. The outcome of this game came with a razor-thin decision.

The St. Joseph Flyers got an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning in a 3-2 win over the Symmes Valley Vikings in a non-league game on Wednesday.

“It was just a great game. Both teams played really well. It just came down to making a play and we made one more play than they did,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant.

The Flyers’ Jake Stephens went the distance for the win. He scattered 10 hits, struck out 7, walked 2 and both runs were earned.

Gradee Holland threw 6 strong innings for the Vikings before giving way to Aydan Taylor in the seventh. Holland gave up 7 hits, 2 earned runs with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks.

“Stephens threw a great game for us and we got some clutch hits. Evan Balestra just keeps making clutch plays and getting clutch hits for us,” said Bryant.

The Flyers got the winning run in the top of the seventh with 2 outs.

Balestra singled, stole second and third and came home on a throwing error.

Stephens gave up 2 singles in the bottom of the seventh but got a strikeout and a ground out and catcher Drew Brown threw out a runner trying to steal second base.

The Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a one-out walk to Andy Strow and a 2-out RBI double by Zander Hurn.

The lead went to 2-0 in the fourth.

Strow reached on a dropped third strike leading off. Tanner Thompson singled and Mason Stevenson had a 2-out RBI single.

St. Joseph tied the game with 2 runs in the fifth.

Mason Weber and Landon “Rocky” Rowe singled to start the inning. Brady “Quinn” Medinger put down a sacrifice bunt and Balestra hit a sacrifice fly. Brown then singled to center field as Rowe scored.

Rowe was 3-4 as the Flyers got 8 hits. Balestra, Stephens, Neal and Weber were all 1-3.

Luke Niece was 2-3 and Will Jones 2-4 for the Vikings. Corn was 2-4, Taylor 1-4, Thompson 1-3, Hurn 1-3 with a double and RBI, Stevenson 1-2 with an RBI, and Strow 1-2

St. Joseph 000 020 1 = 3 8 0

Sym. Valley 010 100 0 = 2 10 1

Jake Stephens and Drew Brown. Gradee Holland, Aydan Taylor (7) and Will Jones. W-Stephens (IP-7.0, H-10, R-2, ER-2, K-7, BB-3, WP-2). L-Taylor (IP-1.0, H-1, R-1, ER-0, K-0, BB-0). Holland (IP-6.0, H-7, R-2, ER-2, K-4, BB-2, HBP-1). Hitting-St. Joseph: Landon “Rocky” Rowe 3-4, Evan Balestra 1-3 RBI, Jake Stephens 1-3, Wesley Neal 1-3, Mason Weber 1-3; Symmes Valley: Luke Niece 2-3, Will Jones 1-4, Tanner Corn 2-4, Aydan Taylor 1-4, Andy Strow 1-2, Tanner Thompson 1-3, Zander Hurn 1-3 2B RBI, Mason Stevenson 1-2 RBI.