Thompson’s three-run homer lifts Symmes Valley over Eastern in wild win

Derrick Webb, Managing Editor

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

BEAVER — With the score tied at 5-5 in the top half of Friday’s seventh inning and a runner standing on first base, Eastern made a decision to walk Symmes Valley’s Marley Ferguson.

It was the right decision.

Ferguson had already sent a two-run homer screaming over the left field fence, followed by a hard-hit single in her next at-bat. 

The only problem with that choice was that Kaycee Thompson was waiting in the on-deck circle — and she took offense to it.

The Vikings’ junior backstop took a 1-2 offering and deposited a towering fly ball directly over the center field fence, giving her teammates an 8-5 lead and, eventually, their 20th win this spring.

It marked yet another outright league title for Symmes Valley.

“That was huge for Kaycee,” Symmes Valley coach Odie Estep said. “She’s one of our go-to leaders. When other girls get down, Kaycee is one of the first ones to step up and talk them up. We have a lot of leaders on this team. Kaycee is one of them. That was our 22nd home run this year and we’ve got eight different kids who have hit one. So it’s hard to pitch around us. I would’ve walked Marley, too. But sometimes, it comes back to haunt you.”

After two scoreless innings, the Vikings (20-2, 9-0 SOC II) graced the scoreboard in the top of the third inning.

Brenna Tibbs saw a 1-2 offering and lasered a solo home run over the left-center field fence for a 1-0 count. Maci Bland followed Tibbs’ solo shot with a double before Ferguson stepped to the plate and went yard for a 3-0 score.

The Eagles (16-3, 7-2 SOC II) weren’t going away quietly, though.

Jaidyn McCleese began the bottom half of the frame with a single and eventually made her way to third base. She’d score on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 going to the fourth.

SV immediately retook a three-run lead with a solo home run from Alyssa Waugh in the fourth, making it 4-1. But Eastern continued to stay within arm’s length by scoring twice in the frame, thanks to an RBI groundout from Paige Helton and an RBI single from Kami Pollard.

That 4-3 score would stay intact until the bottom of the sixth when the Eagles captured every ounce of momentum.

Poorman started the at-bat with a single before a pair of errors allowed her to score on the next play, forcing a 4-4 deadlock. Lynnleigh McCollister would then score on an RBI single from Rader, giving Eastern its first lead of the night at 5-4.

Symmes Valley, all of the sudden, had just three outs to work with. But when the Vikings needed it the most, the meat of their lineup produced in a big way.

Tibbs worked a one-out walk to begin the late-inning rally and immediately stole second base. Bland then collected her third hit of the night, a double, scoring Tibbs for a 5-5 count.

Eastern elected to walk Ferguson to get to Thompson and Thompson threw on her cape and assumed the hero role, homering to hand Symmes Valley a wild win.

“We’ve got kids who step up and when they need to step up,” Estep said. “When we need a play made, we just simply have kids who step up and do that for us. We came off a game last night against Ashland (Ky.) last night and our girls played exceptionally well. But I thought we were still there a little bit at the beginning of tonight’s game. We had to calm down and focus on tonight’s game. I take nothing away from Eastern, though. They’ve got a great club and they’re going to have a deep tournament run. I have a lot of respect for them.”

Statistically, Poorman led the Eagles with a 2-for-3 effort alongside two runs scored. Rader was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Pollard was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Symmes Valley was led by Ferguson, who was 2-for-3 with a homer, two runs and two RBIs, Bland went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI, Waugh added a solo home run and Thompson finished the night 1-for-4 with a three-run bomb.

In the circle, Tibbs went the distance, surrendering eight hits and striking out nine without allowing an earned run. She was also 1-for-3 at the dish with a homer, two runs, a stolen base and an RBI.

While Eastern looks to rebound against at Western on Monday, life doesn’t get any easier for the Vikings.

SV will travel to South Gallia on Monday before finishing off their regular season slate with non-conference dates against Cabell Midland (W. Va.), South Point, Lawrence County (Ky.) and Wheelersburg.

“I think the teams we have left on our non-conference schedule, I think it’s huge for us,” Estep said. “If we can play with those teams and come out with a couple of wins, it’s a huge confidence-builder for our girls going into tournament play. We might come out with three losses but, you know what, they’re going to be good losses. We want to see the best of the best.”

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