Tippecanoe Valley’s Alec Craig delivers to Southwood Monday night. (Photos by Mike Deak)

AKRON – Southwood used the long ball to its advantage, winning 9-4 at Tippecanoe Valley Monday night in Three Rivers Conference baseball.

A trio of two-run homers, the third of which was a bomb off the bat of Carson Blair, gave the Knights a 9-1 lead over the Vikings. Blair homered earlier in the contest as did Joel Hinds as the wind was howling out of the Valley yard to dead center.

The Knights were all over Alec Craig, who lasted 4.1 innings but was tagged for eight hits, three walks, seven earned runs and took the loss.

Southwood, on the other hand, got a whale of a game from freshman Gabe Lloyd, who held Valley to just two hits through six innings despite the hefty wind blowing out.

Valley would patch in its bulk share in the seventh, plating four runs, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

The win for the Knights moves the club to 3-1 in the TRC and 6-6 overall. Valley slides to 5-6 overall and 2-2 in the TRC.

Valley hosts Northfield Wednesday, the Norse will come in fresh off a no-hit performance from Blake Harner over a potent Whitko squad Monday evening.