The Paly varsity baseball team improves to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in league play after a stunning comeback against the Milpitas Trojans last Friday afternoon.
After a hideous first inning, the game was full of stellar performances and outstanding plays on both sides of the ball, and the Vikes finally capitalized on a Milpitas mistake to win the game, 7-6,

The Trojans had all of their scoring in the top half of the first inning. The Vikings had a much more balanced attack, and won partially because of that balanced approach. Senior pitcher Jimmy Meuel started for the Vikes but was shaky. The game started with the Trojans hitting. Milpitas second baseman Tommy Cardiel hit a 0-1 fastball for a triple to right center. Things continued to go wrong for the Vikings as the next hitter got on first due to a catching error by normally sure handed Viking shortstop senior Russell Hagemann. The next hitter, Milpitas starting pitcher Joe Lagmann, hit a two RBI single to left center just past a diving Hagemann.

With the score 2-0 Milpitas, Vikes head coach Peter Columbo made a pitching change and brought in senior David Stringer.
Meuel gave up two runs in less then one third of an inning of work, and later that inning, a third run went onto his record.

Stringer struck out the next batter in three pitches. The next pitch was a groundball to Viking first baseman Shane Parsons who misplayed it which resulted in a run, making the score 3-0, Milpitas. The Trojans attacked again when Milpitas right fielder Peter Gresh came to the plate. Gresh hit a 0-2 fastball deep to right field for a three run bomb, making the score 6-0, Milpitas. Stringer threw two more strike outs to end the inning with no
more harm done.

The Vikes had trouble getting anything started on offense and went three up and three down during the bottom of the first against Lagmann. Viking designated hitter senior Ryan
Greenfield hit a hard ball, but it missed the sweet spot, and turned out to be a flyout to Milpitas center fielder Pancho Hernandez. The second out was an awkward play as Viking second baseman Matt Wismann struck out swinging for a pitch that hit him directly in the face. Third batter Max Pinto hit the ball to right center field, but a diving stop and good throw by Cardiel ended the bottom of the first inning, the worst inning so far
this season for the Vikes.

The Trojans went 1, 2, then 3 down at the top of the second after an outstanding diving catch by Viking right fielder senior Adam Dexter, a nice catch and throw play by Hagmann, and a good play by Vikings third baseman Karl Laughton. With the score still 6-0 at the bottom of the second, the Vikings got two runs. Junior catcher Nathan Ford hit the ball on a line, but directly to Milpitas shortstop Micheal De Jesus. Hagemann had the same bad luck. Two outs brought Laughton up. Laughton got a free pass on a 3-2 curveball that missed high. Next up was Parsons, with two outs and one on. Parson hit a triple deep to left field on a 1-1 slider, putting the Vikes on the board, 6-1. With two outs and Parsons just ninety feet away, Dexter tripled to centerfield on a 2-2 fastball making, the score 6-2. Viking centerfielder Max Pinto
struck out, ending the inning.

The rest of the scoring happened during the bottom of the fourth inning. Hageman got a solid single to center field and Laughton followed that up with a solid single of his own to center. Parsons then hit a 1-0 fastball from Lagman for a two RBI double to right center field making the score 6-4, Milpitas. With a mere two run lead, Milpitas went for a pitching change, bringing in Romy Tambura and placing Lagmann at third base.

Tambura walked Dexter, and Vikings left fielder Gabe Brewer came to the plate. He got to first safely with a perfectly executed bunt. With runners at first and second and no outs, Greenfield hit the ball to Lagmann, but he misplayed it ,allowing Greenfield to get to first safely, and allowing a run which made the score 6-5, Milpitas. Thereafter, Wismann hit the ball to the De Jesus. The Milpitas shortstop got a good hop on the ball and threw out a sliding Dexter for the first out of the bottom of the inning. Pinto came up and hit the ball to De Jesus, but hustled down the first base line for a single.

With two outs and runners on the corners, Ford came to the plate. After throwing two strikes Tambura balked, forcing Brewer home for what would be the game winning run. Pinto advanced to second base uncontested making the score 7-6, Paly, which would prove to be the final margin of victory for the Vikings. Pinto tried to steal and was thrown out easily by Trojan catcher Byran Green to end the inning.

Paly did very little offensively for the rest of the game, but was unrelenting on defense. The Vikes brought in senior Jeremy Gillan to pitch at the top of the fifth inning. Gillan stifled all chances for a comeback by allowing just one hit and giving up
just one walk the rest of the way for the Vikes. Gillan got the final seven of the last nine outs on four overpowering strikeouts and three weak flyouts. With one out at the top of the seventh, Hagemann made two solid defensive plays to end the game.

"I thought we played really well, but we’re really disappointed; I don’t know how they came back and beat us," Milpitas assistant coach Bill Leffler said after the disappointing loss. "We see them a couple more times this year, and I hope we can do better in those games."

"Our defense really stepped it up as the game went on," Laughton said. "Russ played really well for us; he is the leader of our defense and it showed throughout the game."

Gillan seemed to agree.

"Everyone on the team really knows their roles well," Gillan said. "The pitchers throw strikes and try to get the ball into play and the defense tries to get outs; everyone helps each other out."

Paly’s next ballgame is scheduled for Wednesday at Fremont with first pitch at 3:30 p.m.