Pao Leads Vikings to 11-8 Comeback Win Over Hartnell

Jake Pao rips a two-run double down the leftfield line against the Panthers.
Jake Pao rips a two-run double down the leftfield line against the Panthers.

A four-run sixth and a four-run seventh rallied the West Valley baseball team to an 11-8 win over Hartnell Tuesday afternoon at Valhalla. The three-and-a-half-hour game saw the Panthers take 5-0 and 7-3 leads before West Valley mounted its comeback. Jonathan Teschner's two-run double and an RBI single from Jake Pao brought the Vikings (1-2) to within 5-3 in the second inning. Chris Wright's two-run single gave Hartnell (1-2) a 7-3 lead in the top of the sixth. West Valley's comeback in the home half of the inning started when Mason Mooney was plunked and Jared Reupert drew a walk. A Tyler Schrader single, a Robby Zanardelli fielder's choice that scored Mooney, and a Panther throwing error on a Teschner bunt brought home Reupert. Up stepped Pao, who ripped a 1-2 pitch down the third base line for a two-run double that evened the score at 7-7. Viking reliever Jake De Foire set the Panthers down in order in the seventh to set the stage for more WVC offensive drama in the bottom of the inning. Reupert singled, Schrader doubled and Zanardelli was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Teschner drove in the winning run when he was hit by a pitch. Pao then delivered a two-run single that scored Schrader and Zanardelli. A walk to Zach Smits loaded the bases for Nate Petrov, who walked to bring home Teschner for an 11-7 Viking lead. The Panthers picked up a run in the top of the ninth and loaded the bases with two down before WVC reliever Isaiah Chavez K'd David Ortiz to end the game. Pao finished the day 3-5 with five RBI, while Reupert was 2-2 with two runs scored, and Schrader went 2-2. De Foire picked up the win, striking out two in two hitless, scoreless innings. West Valley heads to Oroville for a three-game series against the Roadrunners (1-2) Thursday and Friday.