Karter Wong rounds third in game two against Reedley
One of the state's premier offenses answered the call last weekend in the opening round of the 3C2A NorCal playoffs...and then some. 3rd-seeded West Valley pounded out 25 hits and 27 runs to sweep #22 Reedley in a best-of-three series in Saratoga.
The Vikings (32-10) advance to host the 3C2A Super Regional May 9-11 against #6 Los Medanos (32-9) and #10 Folsom Lake (28-14) at Valhalla. The winner of the double elimination round advances to the regional championships May 17-19.
West Valley roped six extra base hits, including home runs from Jayce Dobie and Gabriel Tapia, en route to a 16-4 win over the Tigers in Friday's game one. The Vikings conceded single runs in the first and third before Dobie evened it at 2-2 with a tape-measure, two-run blast over the Blue Monster in left in the bottom of the third.
The Vikings added a pair of runs in both the fifth and seventh for a commanding 6-2 lead, but Reedley countered with two in the top of the eighth to tighten it up at 6-4.
14 batters and ten runs later. WVC had a 16-4 advantage.
The ten-run eighth was highlighted by RBI singles from Ryan Lordier and Dobie, a two-run one-bagger from Degan Davis, RBI doubles from Alan Ramirez and Dylan Unangst and a two-run dinger to right from Tapia.
Ramirez finished 3-for-6 with two RBI, two doubles and three runs scored. Lordier was also 3-for-6, while Dobie ended the day 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Logan Stelling had a two-run double, drew four walks, including one of the bases-loaded RBI variety and got the win on the mound, striking out four and scattering four hits in 4 2/3 innings of work.
Sunday's game two also saw plenty of extra base hits (six) and a pair of three-run rallies from the Vikings. West Valley, the designated visitor after a pre-game coin flip, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on a Dobie three-run homer to left-center.
Reedley countered with six runs in the home half of the first, highlighted by a Garrett Garfield grand slam and a solo shot from Mike Collins. The Tigers went up 7-4 in the second, but a six-run third, highlighted by Stelling's two-run double and an RBI two-bagger from Karter Wong, put the Vikings on top for good at 10-7.
Dobie led the offense with a 2-for-4, three-RBI outing, while Lordier and Stelling also had two hits each. Dillon Haftorson earned the win with five strong innings of relief, and Lincoln Juarez pitched three scoreless innings to pick up the save.
The Super Regional opens Thursday at 11:00 am with Los Medanos, the champions of the Bay Valley Conference taking on Folsom Lake, the co-champions of the Big 8. West Valley, the Coast-South champions, battles the winner an hour after the opener ends.
Tickets are available (credit/debit cards only) at the gate or through the WVC Athletics website:
https://westvalley.prestosports.com/camps/Game_Tickets
All Super Regional games will be streamed on the WVC Athletics YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@westvalleycollegeathletics5398/streams
