Bolstered by, and perhaps a bit burdened by, its recent ascent to the NorCal #2 and state #4 rankings, the West Valley softball team just kept winning last week, running their winning streak to 17 with another three wins.
West Valley over Ohlone 8-0 (six innings):
Thursday, the Vikings (25-2, 10-0 Coast) got the only run they would need in the 1st on a Chloe Wright RBI single to short-left that knocked in Bella Sweet, who reached on an E4 to open the bottom of the first. WVC starter Shelby White ended the 2nd with her third strikeout of the inning to extinguish a Renegade 1st-and-3rd threat and then forced Ohlone (9-20, 2-9) into a pair of flyball outs to end the 3rd. The Renegade 4th ended on a 4-6-3 double play to set up an explosive Viking 4th.
Back-to-back singles from Wright and Reyna Cruz opened the inning. Wright came home on a one-out single from Natalie Clevenger, followed by Cruz crossing the plate on a wicked liner up the middle from Kassady Alcazar.
The Vikings added a solo run in the 5th on an RBI single from Abigail Desa that drove in Cruz, who was at 3rd after a trio of walks.
Jaden Rousch singled to lead off the 6th and, after a Kaylee Ramirez walk and another Wright single, would come home on a Paris Uribe single. Isabella Gallegos follwed that with a two-run single to right. Uribe then sent everyone home early with a one-hopper to third that scored Wright for an 8-0 mercy-rule advantage.
White struck out seven to earn the complete-game win in the circle. Wright led the offense with a 3-3, 1-RBI outing.
Friday's twin bill against NorCal #8 Fresno City (14-13, 8-2 Central Valley) lasted five hours and saw 37 runs cross the plate on 44 hits and three monster home runs.
Game One: West Valley over Fresno City 12-9:
The Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the 2nd in game one. But, it didn't last long, as the Vikings sent 12 batters to the plate in the home half of the 2nd, exploding for seven productive hits to even it up at 7-7. Key hits included a two-run single in the left-center gap from Alcazar, a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze from Bella Sweet that scored Alcazar, and a two-run single from Gallegos.
The Rams grabbed the lead back at 8-7 in the 3rd, but WVC grabbed it back at 10-8 with a trio of runs in the 4th. Dezmyre Cruz opened the 4th with a single and would come home two batters later on an E5. Sweet's SAC fly to right brought home Alcazar, and Sydney Heming drove home Emma Courtney with a single.
The Vikings added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the 5th thanks to another RBI sacrifice to right from Sweet and an RBI single from Alaysia Clincy. The Rams would threaten the 12-8 WVC lead with a run in the top of the seventh to draw within 12-9, but a double-play at first from Larissa Higgins, who was injured on the play, and a liner to Gallegos, Higgins' replacement at first, ended the game.
Sweet finished 1-2 with three RBI, while Alcazar was 2-3 with two RBI, Heming and Gallegos were both 2-4 with Gallegos knocking in two runs and Heming one. Miranda Torres picked up the win in the circle.
Game Two: West Valley over Fresno City 10-6:
It was the Vikings who took the big early lead in game two. Sweet walked to open the 1st and would come home on a Heming single. Gallegos knocked in Heming with a single and would score on a Natalie Clevenger single. With Reyna Cruz on third and Clevenger on second, Alcazar unloaded a bomb to center for a three-run homer and a 6-0 Viking lead. West Valley made it 8-0 in the 2nd on back-to-back singles from Sweet, Clincy and Heming and a SAC fly from Gallegos.
Fresno City struck for three in the third an a three-run blast over the centerfield fence from Destyne White. She would deep again in the 5th with a solo shot off the batting cage in right. The Vikings countered with solo runs of their own in the 3rd and the 4th for a 10-4 lead. The Rams would pick up two in the top of the seventh to close to within 10-6, but a 9-2-6 putout and a 5-3 groundout ended it.
White improved to 11-3 in the circle, striking out four and giving up four hits in 5.1 innings. Kaylee Ramirez earned the save. Sweet went 2-2 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Heming was 3-4 with one RBI and Gallegos finished 2-3 with two RBI.