The West Valley bats were full of life on opening day, as the Vikings routed Reedley 18-8 and Bakersfield 9-2 Saturday at Fresno City College. Timely hits - 13 against Reedley and 11 against Bakersfield - were the order of the day.

The Vikings (2-0) put five runs across in the 1st inning, two more in the 2nd and a game-clinching six in the top of the 6th in game one against the Tigers. Tyla Arbuckle led off 2025 with a single and, after stealing 2nd and 3rd, scored the first run of the season on a Raylene Cruz SAC fly to center. A Jasmine Mixco triple knocked in Brianna Chambers Lee, who had walked. Mixco made it 3-0, scoring on Makayla Villapando's E3. Alexis Bojorquez-Nava singled in Villapando and came home on an Alina Perez E6.

A Cruz RBI-single highlighted the three-run WVC 2nd inning. After the Tigers (0-1) scored in the bottom of the 2nd to make it 8-1, the Vikings struck for two more in the top of the 3rd, thanks to RBI-singles from Arbuckle and Chambers Lee. The WVC insurance runs would matter as Reedley scored seven times in the home half of the 3rd to climb within 10-7 and gain some momentum. 

After WVC made it 12-7 with a pair of runs in the 5th, the Vikings sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the 6th and scored six runs for an insurmountable 18-8 lead. Alysia Elizarrey struck out Reedley's Angelina Castellanos to end the game an inning early.

Cruz was 3-for-4 with four RBI, while Arbuckle finished 3-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI. Mixco went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Viking starter Ashlie Nakano earned the win in the circle.

The Vikings again struck early in the afternoon game against Bakersfield (0-1). Arbuckle's lead-off single keyed a four-run WVC 1st. As in game one, Arbuckle stole 2nd and 3rd and scored the opening run, this time on a Chambers Lee single. Jessalyn Casillas knocked in Chambers Lee and Andrea DeJesus with a single and Alina Perez doubled in Cruz, who had walked, for a 4-0 lead after one.

11 batters came to the plate in a five-run Viking 4th. DeJesus led off the inning with a walk, would move to 3rd on a Chambers Lee single and then stole home. Cruz had an RBI single and Casillas a two-run double to give WVC a 9-1 lead.

Casillas, Chambers Lee, Mixco and Perez all had two-hit outings. Anna Bean won her first WVC start in the circle, while Amelia Sizemore picked up the save with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Vikings travel Sacramento for a 1/30 game at American River (1-0-1) and then host Mt. San Antonio Saturday (2/1) in a home-opening twinbill. First pitches Saturday are noon and 2:00pm.