In week two of the season, the Vikings faced a section champion, crosstown rival, and an uncommon opponent.

The Vikings started off the week against the reigning Division 3 Sac-Joaquin Section Champions, the Del Campo Cougars, on Tuesday, March 7 for the home opener. Game two of the week was the rescheduled game against the Roseville Tigers on March 9 at Roseville High. The week’s schedule concluded with some day baseball against the Kelseyville Knights at home on March 11. 

The Vikings put sophomore right handed pitcher Ayden Dringenberg on the mound to face the Cougars for the first varsity start of his career, and the game was a pitching duel. Both pitchers were battling it out the first two innings of the game. However, in the third inning, the scoring started. 

In a bases-loaded situation following the Vikings intentionally walking the Cougars’ third hitter, Matt Moses, a failed pick off attempt at second base brought in the first run for the Cougars. The Vikings then came back with two runs of their own: one from Brady Fearn, and one from Cooper Kunis with a line drive to left field. 

The game would go back to a pitcher’s duel, holding the score at 2-1. In the bottom of the sixth inning though, with time running out, the Vikings needed some insurance runs to help them close out the game and capture their first win of the season. KC Tibbits came through with a double, scoring three runs, and ultimately sealed the victory for the Vikings. 

Right hander Trevor Wilson, who came in during the sixth inning, would throw two solid innings to capture the win for the Vikings. The Vikings won their first game of the season against a defending section champion, with the score of 5-1. 

On March 9, the Vikings took on the crosstown rival Roseville Tigers. This is not any ordinary game, because the Tigers are coming off of a good win against Placer Hillman, and this game would be played at 9:30 am on a school day. Both schools agreed to play at this time to get the game in because of impending weather later in the afternoon. 

The Vikings would pitch ace Kurt Marton in this game, and he pitched very well, keeping the Vikings in the game. The Vikings scored steadily throughout the game, picking up two runs in the second, fourth, and fifth innings. In a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers hit a bases-clearing double, putting themselves back in the game. The Vikings got out of the inning with no further damage, leaving the score at 6-3. 

In the sixth, the Vikings picked up another run, building on their lead and making it 7-3. The Vikings had many defensive troubles in the bottom of the sixth, and the Tigers would rally back to score four runs, tying the game at 7-7. 

With their backs against the wall in the top of the seventh, the Vikings would come up scoreless and go to the bottom of the seventh needing to hold the Tigers scoreless to send the game into extra innings. 

After getting the first hitter of the inning out, the next hitter would get a base hit. Then a mishap on a bunt put runners on first and second for the Tigers. The next Tigers hitter also got on first, loading the bases for the Tigers. The Tigers ultimately hit a ground ball to the Vikings’ shortstop, and would end up scoring the winning run and walking it off. The Vikings lost 8-7, and overall fell to 1-2 on the season. 

Due to more rain in the forecast, the Vikings’ Saturday match up against the Kelseyville Knights was rescheduled for Wednesday 3/15. 

After a week of ups and downs, the Vikings are still looking for some consistency as they potentially play four straight games because of previous weather. The Vikings face Kelseyville on Wednesday, Del Oro on Thursday, Granite Bay on Friday, and Downey on Saturday.