The West Valley softball team opened the 2022 Coast Conference season in a big way Thursday, pounding out eight productive hits in a 7-4 win at Monterey Peninsula.

Kassady Alcazar popped her second round-tripper of the year, a two-run blast in the 2nd inning that evened the score at 2-2. An inning later, Dezmyre Cruz blasted her first collegiate homer, a three-run shot that gave the Vikings a 5-2 lead. WVC (8-2, 1-0 Coast) added solo scores in the 5th and 7th, countering single runs from MPC (4-6-1, 0-2) in the 4th and 6th. Reliever Shelby White retired the side in the bottom of the 7th to earn the save, while Viking starter America Maples struck out seven Lobos in six innings to improve to 3-0.

On Friday, West Valley hosted Butte (11-1) in a pair of games at Viking Field. The Vikings fell to 8-4 overall with a 7-0 loss in game one and a 2-0 loss in game two. WVC may have left their bats in Monterey, as they were able to come up with only two hits in each game. Sydney Heming roped a double in the first game, but a six-run, six-hit 4th doomed WVC. In game two, America Maples gave up a pair of runs on three Butte hits in the third, but the Roadrunners never had a batter reach again, as Maples set them down in order in the 4th through the 7th innings.

Coast Conference action resumes Tuesday (2/22) with a Highway 17 rivalry battle against Cabrillo at Viking Field. First pitch is 3:00pm.