West Valley grabbed an 8-4 seventh-inning lead and then held off a College of San Mateo rally to prevail 8-7 in the first game of a three-game set this week against the Bulldogs. 

After spotting the 7th-ranked Bulldogs (23-9, 7-6 Coast-North) a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st, the Vikings (15-17, 7-6) erupted for four of their own in the home half. A Jacob Serpa RBI single that drove in James Bose started things off. Eric Murchison then ripped a two-run double that scored Serpa and Ryan Lordier. Eli Martinez sent Murchison home with a single for a 4-2 WVC advantage. 

The Vikings made it 6-2 an inning later on Serpa and Murchison singles that knocked in Bose and Lordier. The Bulldogs closed the gap to 6-4 with two runs in the 4th. WVC made it 8-4 in the 7th when Lordier came home on an Anthony Cortese single and Murchison crossed the plate on a CSM passed ball.

San Mateo added some drama with two runs in the 8th and another in the 9th. After a CSM two-out homer in the top of the 9th made it 8-7, a groundout to Bose at short ended it.

Bose finished 3-4, while Murchison was 2-3 with three RBI. Serpa went 2-5 with two RBI and Lordier was 2-3 with a double and three runs scored. Mitchell Nagel earned the win, and Colin Trizuto picked up the save.