Good baseball teams find a way to win. West Valley epitomized that hypothesis Tuesday with a trio of passed-ball runs in its 5-1 victory over Ohlone in the regular season finale at Valhalla. The Coast-South champions (31-9, 17-3 Coast-South) earned a 4-0 season sweep of the 2nd-place Renegades (31-9, 14-6) and enter the postseason having won seven of their last eight.

The Vikings took advantage of 11 Renegade walks, including three straight in the 5th that led to two Viking runs and another run-producer in the 7th. Jordan Hall singled to open the 3rd and moved third base on a David Estrada single, a Carmelo Rivera sacrifice bunt and walks to Kai Laxa and Colin Spear. Hall then scampered home on the first of three Ohlone passed balls.

Consecutive free passes to Estrada, Rivera and Laxa loaded the bases with one out in the 5th. Estrada came home on a passed ball and Eric Altmark doubled in Rivera to make it 3-0.

West Valley added two insurance runs in the 7th. Laxa earned a two-out walk and came home on a Colin Spear double to right. Spear scored on back-to-back passed balls to extend the WVC advantage to 5-0. The Renegades put a run on the board with a pair of doubles in the 8th and had runners on 1st and 3rd in the 9th with two outs in the 9th, but couldn't push anything else across.

Viking starter Nico Wagner dominated the Renegades to earn the win on the mound and improve to 7-2. He kept Ohlone off the board, scattering two hits, both singles, issuing just two walks and striking out five in six innings. He set the Renegades down in order in the 3rd, 4th and 5th innings.

Hall and Spear each had two of WVC's six hits, and Laxa walked in all five of his at-bats. Estrada earned three free passes.

The Vikings, currently 2nd in NorCal RPI, will open the 3C2A NorCal playoffs with a best-of three series against a yet-to-be-named opponent at Valhalla May 2-3. Seedings will be announced this weekend. Watch this space.