By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

AID — The St. Joseph Flyers really liked the way Drew threw.

Drew Brown fired a 4-hit shutout as the Flyers blanked the Symmes Valley Vikings 9-0 in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Wednesday.

“Brown was dominant. He only threw about 80 pitches and the key was he threw strikes,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant.

“I was worried about this game. Symmes Valley always plays us tough. But our pitching was great and we had some key hits.”

Brown threw 79 pitches and 56 were for strikes. He struck out 9 and walked just one.

The Flyers (14-3, 11-2) got a run I the first when Kai Coleman walked, Brady “Quinn” Medinger singled him to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Evan Balestra.

St. Joseph added a run in the third on a walk to Landon Rowe and singles by Coleman and Balestra.

The score remained 2-0 until the fifth when the Flyers scored 4 times.

With 2 outs, Balestra singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Brown.

Mark Hodges and Wesley Neal walked to load the bases and Hunter Staton ripped a 1-2 pitch to right field for a bases clearing triple.

“Staton came up with a huge hit. He drilled that ball,” said Bryant,

St. Joseph tacked on 3 more runs in the sixth to lead 9-0.

Rowe, Coleman and Medinger all singled to start the inning and produced the first run. Balestra and Brown then followed with RBI singles.

Balestra swung a big bat as he went 3-4 with 3 runs batted in. Brown and Medinger each went 2-4 with 2 RBI and Coleman 2-3 as the Flyers banged out 12 hits.

Rowe was 1-2, Darryn Harvey 1-1 and Staton 1-3 with the triple and 3 RBI.

Aydan Taylor was 2-3 and both Andy Strow and Will Jones 1-3 for the Vikings.

St. Jospeh 101 043 0 = 9 12 0

Sym. Valley 000 000 0 = 0 4 0

Drew Brown and Evan Balestra. Mason Stevenson, Will Jones (5) and Will Jones, Zane Hurn (5). W-Brown (IP-7.0, H-4, R-0, K-9, BB-1). L-Stevenson (IP-4.2, H-5, R-6, ER-6, K-4, BB-5). Jones (IP-2.1, H-7, R-3, ER-3, K-3, BB-0). Hitting-St. Joseph: Kai Coleman 2-3, Brady “Quinn” Medinger 2-4 RBI, Evan Balestra 3-4 3-RBI, Drew Brown 2-4 2-RBI, Hunter Staton 1-3 3B 3-RBI, Darryn Harvey 1-1, Landon Rowe 1-2; Symmes Valley: Andy Strow 1-3, Will Jones 1-3, Aydan Taylor 2-3.