What's even sweeter than winning eight of your final nine games? A spot in the regional tournament, and a third place finish! Needing to win two games to qualify for regional, the Vikings took it one step further taking three out of four games from Temple.
On Wednesdasy, May 1, the Vikings rode a seven run first inning to take the 12-6 victory. Sloan Barrett drew the walk, and moved to third on a double from Walker Polk. Tyler Brodrick drove in both on a two run single. A single from Seidmeyer, and a hit by a pitch loaded the bases. Mason Ruiz scored one on a sacrifice fly, and Jackson Harrell hit a two run double for a 5-0 lead. Kain Sanchez made it 6-0 on an RBI single, and the Vikings batted around in the first inning. Barrett capped the scoring with a single and a 7-0 single.
Temple scored five runs in the second, but the Viking answered right back with five runs in their half of the second inning.
Brodrick and Maldonado Jr each hit singles. Blake McCarthy scored one with a single, and Harrell drew a walk to load the bases. Sanchez worked the walk, and Barrett drove in a pair with a single for a 12-5 lead.
Temple added a run in the fifth, but the Vikings secured the 12-6 victory in game one.
Every Viking starter reached base at least one. Sanchez, Harrell, Brodrick and Barrett all drove in multiple runs.
Cade Sharp sturck out six in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen. Clay Kemp struck out a pair in the seventh to secure the win.
In game two, it was a scoreless affair until the fifth inning. Temple scored the first run, but the Vikings responded with two runs in the fifth. Jacob Lang hit a big two run double to put the Vikings up 2-1. An error in the seventh inning put the Vikings up 3-1. Temple scored two in the ninth to tie the game at 3-3.
In the 10th inning though, the Viking offense came up clutch. Polk and Brodrick both drew walks, and Seidmeyer laid down a perfect bunt. Temple over threw first base, allowing Polk to race around and score the winning run and officially send the Vikings to regionals!
Trenton Shaw started the game, striking out eight in four innings of work. Chase Davis struck out five in three innings out of the bullpen, and Cade York also struck out three in three innings.
Lang led the offense with two RBI at the plate.
Temple took game three of the series, riding a six run sixth inning to a 9-3 victory.
Barrett led the offense with three hits, and Seidmeyer drove in a pair of runs. On the mound, Grady Moore struck out five in 4.1 innings of work.
A strong pitching performance from David Jeon helped secure the series victory in a 5-4 game four Viking win.
Temple put up two runs in the bottom of the first, but the Vikings cut into the lead on an RBI from McCarthy, scoring Seidmeyer, who doubled to lead off the inning.
Maldonado Jr scored the tying run in the fifth inning. Temple took the lead in their half of the fifth, but an RBI double from Barrett tied the game at 3-3. Later in the inning, Maldonado Jr broke the tie with a two run single to make it 5-3.
Temple cut it to 5-4 in the eighth, but Kemp slammed the door on a rally, notching a pair of strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work.
Jeon struck out 10 in seven strong innings. Offensively, Maldonado Jr finished 2-4 with a pair of RBI. Barrett and Seidmeyer also had multi hit games.
