SARATOGA -- In sports like basketball, hockey or football, one will often see stats like "time in the lead", indicating the amount of time in a game a team holds the lead. In baseball, a sport without a clock, it's not relevant.

But the Vikings (6-0) played a 3-hour and 28-minute heartstopper and led for a total of 0:00. It's the same ledger that a basketball team that trails until a last-second buzzer-beater has. It's the same as a football team that kicks a field goal as time expires.

West Valley trailed 8-0 after the Roadrunners (5-3) scored six in their half of the second. The Vikings trailed 12-6 with two outs in the eighth. Still, good teams win games, and great teams win games they're not exactly supposed to, and the Vikings, still ranked No. 1 in the state, found a way to win. David Colon had a pair of two-run triples in his first collegiate start and David Estrada cut the deficit to three in the eighth while winning the ballgame in the ninth.

"Through five games," said head coach Bobby Hill, "I think our pitching's been holding things down until, offensively, we can find some ways to get some offense going. We found a way there. You know, our model here is that we bend, don't break. When things don't go well, it's okay. But for game six to have some adversity like this, this is the first time we had some kind of adversity chasing all these runs [against] a very good team who do all the little things right. In order for us to win a game like this, you got to check the boxes. If we don't check the boxes, you're probably going to lose against a team like Butte. But the guys just kept fighting, they kept fighting. Pitchers started holding us down a little bit, getting us some zeros on the board, and the offense decided to [grind] this out and pick up the pitchers for the first time this year because they've been picking us up and we've been holding us down. This is a good team bonding win."

Viking starter Quincy Winkler did not have his a-game early on, allowing a run to score on a passed ball in the first while another squeezed by on a double from the Roadrunners' leadoff hitter Collin Severson. In the third inning, the Roadrunners dinked, doinked and walked their way to loading the bases loaded to knock Winkler out of the game before Kolbey Stolpe's three-run double off Sebastian Buller pushed it to an 8-0 Butte lead.

Andrew Bonfigli, fresh off a two-homer game, led off the bottom half of the third with a walk before Kenji Colston was hit by a pitch. Colon, who came in and walked against Modesto two games prior, slashed an 0-2 hanger to right-center, splitting the defense while he reached third base.

"I got the nerves out first game," said Colon. "I came [into the game in] the nine spot, knew I was going to get a lot of fastballs. They didn't know what type of hitter I was, and I made them pay. It was very exciting, very, very exciting for me today."

Leadoff hitter Eric Altmark drove Colon in with a sac fly to bring the score to 8-3. And while the inning ended without the Vikings scratching across another run, Estrada slapped a ball on the nose to the Butte shortstop that was indicative of good things to come. The at-bat signaled a return to the approach that had led Estrada, and so many other Vikings, to success: hitting the ball as hard as possible and using the opposite field.

"No, not until I came here," said Colon when asked if he had been an opposite field hitter prior to this season. "They really work on developing really well. They train very hard. We practice oppo every day and it relays in the game, and thankfully, we got the win today off for the oppo gap."

The teams traded blows from the fourth through middle of the eighth, and an eight-run deficit had been cut ever so slightly to six entering the bottom of the eighth. Colin Melrose came out of the bullpen and dealt in the eighth and ninth, helping keep the Vikings afloat. He finished with two scoreless innings, sending down the Roadrunners in order in the ninth.

"Melrose came in and did his job," said Hill. "I know Quincy didn't have his A-game today. I think Buller was a little off today, but it didn't matter. [Brice] Brunson came in, did his job, and then Melrose came in and just held us in. What a day for Melrose. I'm really, really pulling for him to continue to have success, and I couldn't be more happy for him today."

With the Vikings trailing by six, Bonfigli led off the eighth by taking a walk before Colston was hit by a pitch and Colon lined out sharply to center. Altmark struck out and Hill was hit for a second-straight inning before Estrada cleared the bases with a double to push the deficit to three. For all of his terrific at-bats, this was the only ball he pulled all day, and it paid dividends.

"A lot of stuff away," Estrada said about what he saw in his penultimate at-bat, "just trying to pound me away, trying to keep me off balance, trying to get me out in front. Some change-ups too, and it was a lefty, so you get that natural lefty tail and eventually, I saw it middle and I had to just get the hands out and just poke it down the line."

For Estrada, who reached base four times with two falling for hits, postgame was a moment to be introspective about his season finally starting to come together.

"I think this whole thing's really been mental," said Estrada. "I just trust in the process, trust in my swing. Keep the hands through, try not to roll over and the results will come and it did today."

In the ninth, Parker Kristall led off the inning with a walk before Jordan Montez was hit by a pitch and Bonfigli singled to load the bases. Colston flew out to center to bring home a run and bring up Colon.

"Our second baseman, Kenji Colston, I told him before the game, it's going to be down to the 7, 8, 9 hitters, because the 7, 8, 9 hitters is what started the rally, down 8-0," said Colon. "And I told him, it's going to be us. And he definitely came up in a big spot. Can't do without the team, though, runners on, takes a lot of bench guys, fast guys to get in there. Honestly, just after the praises and everybody just supporting you, it just feels so good. Just happy to come out with the win."

Even in a 2-2 count, Colon laced a fastball on the outside with perfect placement, hitting the chalk line in right as a pair of pinch runners, AJ Ljepava and Quincy Bootay, came home to score. In his first start, the freshman drove in four runs and tripled twice. It's just the fourth time a Viking has ever tripled twice in a game, and the first since Justin Scanlon did it against Mission in 2017. But more than that is the leadership he displayed: a freshman hyping up a veteran who has been through the process, all while letting his play speak for itself.

"I wouldn't say leadership," said Colon, "because I never want to take the people that have been here and did their time contributing to the team, but I will say that I'm not scared to speak up, and I've definitely built so much stronger relationships with other teammates that I'm comfortable telling people anything. And honestly, I feel like I did become a leader right there, just because I told him, you know, it's going be up to us. And we got the job done"

West Valley's lineup has been extremely consistent this year. The only spot that has really rotated is catcher, where Bonfigli has had the bulk of the load. Kaden Smith had one start as the Vikings' designated hitter, only because Max Ghiglieri needed to be available out of the bullpen. But Colon worked his way into the Vikings' starting nine and delivered.

"He wasn't even supposed to start today," said Hill. "But for some reason last night, I said, 'you know what, let's just put [Estrada] in left, get his mind off playing defense and hitting, and let's give Colon a shot a third'. He's been swinging the bat well in BP, and he came in today and he had two clutch hits. For a freshman like that, those at bats carry on in throughout the year, and the confidence builds with him, and he's that type of player. For him to come in a game like this and get his first start and have a performance like that, it's kudos to David's mental side. and kudos to the coaching staff for keeping these bench guys afloat."

With the top of the order up, Butte elected to intentionally walk Altmark and Bobby Hill to load the bases, bringing Estrada to the plate.

"Maybe," said Estrada when asked if he had ever seen someone in front of him getting intentionally walked, "in Little League or in high school, but that was kind of disrespectful, I thought. I know [that] I was batting pretty low this season, but I just went up to bat, and I'm like, 'oh, don't let me get this walk-off.'"

Even through a cloudy sky much less picturesque than the 74-degree first pitch temperature, Estrada came through, skying an 0-1 fastball to left and scoring the streaking Colon.

"It was hard to see, to be honest," said Estrada. "You walk the bases loaded, you're trying to get ahead, so I'm aggressive. I'm trying to swing. And they're not going to walk me because that would win the game. If it's in the area, just get it out to the outfield and just send us home."

All in all, the Vikings never said die. Last season, West Valley was just 7-9 when its opponents scored first and 1-11 when trailing after eight innings. The Vikings' last win in a game they trailed by eight or more was in an elimination game against Feather River near the end of the 2024 season. But this year feels different. The Vikings are now 5-0 when their opponents score first, and they erased an 8-0 deficit in the victory against the Roadrunners.

Now, Butte has a chance at redemption. The three-game series continues tomorrow, with first pitch scheduled at 1:00 PM.