Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
WELLSTON — Don’t pitch to Marley Ferguson.
It’s a foregone conclusion that, if Ferguson sees anything near the strike zone, you’re playing with fire.
And when you play with fire, you get burnt.
Symmes Valley’s star third baseman smoked a game-winning two-run blast over the left-center field fence on Thursday evening, powering her Vikings to a 6-4 win over Racine Southern in a Division VII district championship game.
After allowing the Tornadoes to force a 4-4 tie in the top of the seventh inning, all the Vikings (25-3) needed was one swing of the bat to punch their Sweet 16 tickets.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“They got back up on us, obviously, so we came back into the dugout with a mental state of, ‘We’ve got to do anything we can to get on base and just score a run,’” Ferguson said. “So, I know my team has my back and I knew I had to get up there and do something for them to prove that we could win this game. I just had to give myself confidence to hit that ball wherever it came.”
Ferguson gave the Vikings their first run of the ballgame with an RBI single that plated Brenna Tibbs in the bottom of the first inning.
In the second, Maci Bland tacked on another run with a bomb of her own — a solo shot — making it 2-0 early.
“My approach was just having confidence,” Bland said. “I just went up there with a positive attitude and didn’t think about anything else. I just thought about getting on and scoring for my team.”
But Southern (17-5) provided an answer in the top of fourth, and got some help from Symmes Valley’s defense.
Kianna Rose and Kierston Rose both came around to score on an error, a ball hit by Ali Norris, to force a 2-2 deadlock and wipe the slate clean.
Symmes Valley went back ahead in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run run double off the bat of Natalie Simpson, and that 4-2 lead stayed intact until the top of the seventh.
PHOTO: Images from Symmes Valley’s district title win over Southern
That’s when the Tornadoes got an RBI double from Jaylynn Hupp, cutting the deficit to 4-3, before an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Kierston Rose once again brought the two teams even.
But that effort was for naught as Ferguson provided the fireworks in the bottom half.
Bland began the frame with a single before Ferguson tattooed the first pitch she saw for a game-winning two-run jack.
“[Symmes Valley] coach [Odie Estep] was just telling us to stay up and to keep the dugout loud,” Bland said. “Have confidence in everybody, hit hard balls in the gaps and just cheer for our teammates.”
Statistically, Ferguson led the Vikings’ efforts with a 2-for-3 effort alongside her home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. Bland finished 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs and an RBI, and Simpson also chipped in, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
In the circle, Tibbs went the distance for SV, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and striking out nine.
The Tornadoes were led by Hupp, who was 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Kianna Rose was also 2-for-4 with a double while Kierston Rose went 1-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI.
While Southern’s season comes to a close, Symmes Valley advances to a Division VII regional semifinal at 5 p.m., Thursday at Ohio University.
The Vikings will meet with Conotton Valley, who topped Caldwell by a 4-0 final to advance.
“I think we just have to keep playing as a team and communicating,” Simpson said. “We just have to keep the momentum going and keep our foot on the gas.”
“We just have to keep our team up and we do really good about staying up,” Ferguson added. “But there are times where we have down spurts. We could do a lot better about that. It’s just a game of keeping each other up and just keep going. We can’t let up. It’s all gas, no brakes. This is a fun group. We’ve got a lot of seniors this year and we love being around each other.”
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