Tristan Silveira clubbed a two-out 11th-inning single to right-center, driving in Ryan Choi and lifting West Valley to its second straight win over American River to open 2023. The 3-2 nailbiter came on the heels of Friday's 19-6 slugfest win in Sacramento and moved WVC to 2-0 on the young season.
The Vikings held a 2-1 lead until the Beavers (0-2) tied it up in the top of the ninth. Viking reliever Roman Connolly set ARC down in order in the 10th and 11th to set the stage for WVC's walkoff win in the home half of the 11th. Ryan Choi doubled with one out and Silveira stepped to the plate two batters later. He sent a David Centeno pitch to right-center between Beaver rightfielder Jonas Dyas and diving centerfielder Dominic Ott that rolled to the fence, scoring Choi and setting off a Viking dogpile at short.
Connolly picked up the win on the mound, going 3 1/3 and striking out four.
Friday's game at ARC was the polar opposite of Saturday's five-run, six-hit affair. The Vikings pounded out 13 hits and struck for four runs in the 1st inning, five in the 3rd and seven more in the 7th. Ryan Lordier went 4-7 with three RBI, while Eric Murchison slammed a solo HR in the 3rd, and James Bose and Andrew Wilford both had doubles. Cae Cox struck out eight Beavers in five innings to earn the pitching win. Dillon Haftorson picked up the save with seven K's in four strong innings of relief.
