In a must-win game for a Central Coast Section (CCS) playoff berth, the Vikings defeated the Mountain View Spartans, thanks to sophomore Peter Abrams’s two-run homer and junior pitcher Carey Schwartz’s pitching gem.

The Vikings needed a win in their last four games to clinch a CCS playoff berth. They lost to Gunn last Friday when senior Titan pitcher Brent Gardiner allowed only two hits and no walks for a 9-0 victory.

This past Monday, the Vikings lost to Los Gatos 14-3 because of a fourth inning meltdown in which the Wildcats scored seven runs. On Wednesday, the Vikings dropped one to the Milpitas Trojans, 3-0. Junior pitcher Alex Schmarzo allowed only three hits, but Milpitas pitcher Scott Chew allowed only one hit, a first inning single to junior catcher Nick Goodspeed.

Faced with the all-or-none situation, the Vikings elected to hand the ball to Schwartz. The Viking pulled Schwartz from the Los Gatos game in the beginning of the fourth inning because of a league rule that limits pitchers to ten innings in one week. As a result, Schwartz was eligible to pitch for the entire Mountain View game.

“Earlier this season, if the coaches told me that I would pitch in a must win situation like this, I would have said they were crazy," Schwartz said.

Players and coaches selected Schwartz as the the team’s Most Improved Player (MVP). On Friday, he allowed only four hits and one walk in a complete game effort.

“I just told myself it was another game,” Schwartz said.

The Vikings defied almost all expectations with the clinched berth with just four seniors on the team.

“Most people expected us to finish last in league,” Paly head coach Joel Kaufman said. “We were out to prove them wrong.”

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Abrams scored on a wild pitch, and Mountain View catcher Adam Lanthier was ejected in the process because of excessive contact when he dived to apply the tag. The Spartans sorely missed their third hitter, who already had one hit in the game.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Abrams hit a 3-2 curveball over the right field fence and into the tennis courts.

“He was throwing a lot of hanging curveballs,” Abrams said. “ I got my hands through one, and it felt good.”

The Vikings played small ball effectively with three stolen bases and two sacrifice bunts, which led to two runs.

“Our running and bunting went well, and that was the real difference in the game,” Kaufman said.

There will be a seeding meeting on Saturday night to determine the Vikings’ first round opponent.