Vikings Softball Opens Season With 12-9 Home Victory Over Trimble

The Vikings didn't waste any time making a statement in McArthur. Vinton County's varsity softball team beat the Trimble Tomcats 12-9 on Monday, March 23, turning their home opener into an immediate confidence-builder to start the 2026 season at 1-0.

The final margin of three runs came after the Vikings outscored Trimble across the full game, putting up 12 runs against a Tomcat squad that answered back with 9 of their own. The back-and-forth total made it a competitive opener, but Vinton County held on to take the win at McArthur.

Early statistical returns from MaxPreps point to several players who stood out in the victory. Number 10 C Rittinger led the team in batting average at .667, well above the national average of .296, and also posted a perfect 1.000 win-loss percentage on the mound. Number 2 K Stoneking led the team in on-base percentage at .750, compared to a national average of .414. Number 33 J Huddleston topped the Vikings in slugging percentage at .833, against a national average of .412. Number 00 D Simpson posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, well ahead of the national average of .837.

The win moves Vinton County to 1-0 overall with a perfect record at home and a run differential of plus-3 through one game.

The Vikings won't have long to settle in before their next test. Chillicothe, which enters Thursday's matchup at 2-0 with 22 runs scored and just 5 allowed in two games, hosts Vinton County in a non-conference game at 5 p.m. on March 26. The Cavaliers have outscored opponents by a 22-5 margin, making Thursday's road trip one of the steeper early-season challenges on the schedule.