SARATOGA -- For the first time in the regular season since April 2024, West Valley baseball has lost three straight games. After falling earlier in the weekend in a midweek game against Santa Rosa, the Vikings' offensive struggle continued in a second-consecutive loss at the hands of Cosumnes River.

The Vikings (9-4) entered the week ranked No. 1 in the state of California, a label that is almost certain to fall after a winless week. On the other hand, a feisty Cosumnes River squad took advantage of West Valley mistakes when they were made as the Hawks (7-7) continued to bounce back after losing their first four games of the season. After taking down West Valley up north on Friday, the Hawks traveled down to Saratoga and matched the same feat, taking down the Vikings 5-2.

Quincy Winkler took the ball for the Vikings and had arguably his best start in a small sample this season. Things got off to an omninous start for Winkler and the Vikings, as a leadoff single and a passed ball put a runner on second with nobody out. Alan Guzman, the Hawks' top hitter, moved their leadoff runner to third on a fly ball to the warning track in left before Brent Martin's single crept past a drawn-in infield, giving Cosumnes River an early 1-0 lead.

West Valley turned around and scored the run right back, with a new-look lineup featuring Parker Kristall at the top. He smoked a double to left-center field before stealing third and coming home to score on David Estrada's ground out to the right side, evening the game at one apiece.

The teams traded goose eggs for the next three innings, with Mason Harris entering in the third inning for the Hawks and Winkler continuing to cruise the deeper into the game he got. The fourth inning was Winkler's most dominant this season, as the 6-foot-8 righty struck out the side in order. The first two batters he faced in the frame each chased 12-6 curveballs in the dirt before Winkler froze the third, and final, batter of the inning on the inside corner.

Though he picked up the loss, it was a nice return to the Winkler that the Viking coaching staff expected, someone who doesn't always overpower hitters, but someone who induces weak contact without giving up many walks. After allowing six walks with just three strikeouts over his prior two outings, Winkler (0-1) punched out four with only one walk allowed in his 4.1 innings of two-run baseball.

With a runner on second and two outs in the fifth, Winkler handed the ball to freshman right-hander Brice Brunson, who allowed a single and a walk before his day ended. Bryce Berry replaced him, but a passed ball and a single brought home some major insurance for the Hawks before a pair of strikeouts from Berry ended it.

Over the next handful of frames, Berry dominated, at one point setting down eight straight batters before a one-out double in the eighth inning. The 6-foot-8 sophomore provided a big-time spark on the bump for the Vikings out of the bullpen, striking out seven batters -- a career-high -- while allowing just three hits over his 3.2 innings.

Kristall entered on the bump in the ninth and allowed the first three runners to reach on a walk, an error and a single before a wild pitch and a hit by pitch brought two runs home.

Though Kristall would double and come around to score again in the bottom of the ninth, that was all the Vikings could muster as Harris completed a gem out of the Hawks' bullpen, helping take down the Vikings with a 5-2 final.

Now the Vikings get a quick reset before taking on Solano at home on Tuesday.