WOLVES END VIKINGS' SEASON
By Marc Atwood
marcatwood@aol.com
 
(5/13/08 Chico, CA) The Shasta varsity baseball team brought Pleasant Valley's season to a close by taking a 4-2 win in a Northern Section Division I semifinal game played Tuesday at Doryland Field.
 
The Wolves opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning when Stephen Somers hit a single that drove in Brice Powell and Dallas Chadwick. The Vikings got their first run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by David Simmons that allowed Evan Busby to come home. Shasta missed another scoring chance in the top of the second inning when a flyout by Powell left Zack Brown and Chase Detwiler stranded.
 
The bottom of the second ended for PV with Shane Galbraith striking out, leaving Cameron Hord stranded at second base. The Vikings were unable to score in the bottom of the third inning when Simmons hit into a double play that left Busby stranded at third base. The Wolves couldn't score in the top of the fourth inning as Brown hit a groundout that left Corey Hall stranded at third base.
 
Shasta took a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning when Brown reached first base on an error as Morgan Stanton came home. Another run was added that same inning as Somers scored on a single by Detwiler. Pleasant Valley scored a run in the bottom of the sixth when a bases loaded walk by Steve Johnson allowed Patrick Randolph to come home.
 
The Wolves missed out on scoring in the top of the seventh inning as a groundout by Chris Miller left Chadwick and Hall stranded. The Vikings had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, but the game ended on Simmons' flyout to left field.
 
Somers went 3-for-4 for Shasta with all of his hits coming on singles. He also drove in two runs and scored once. Chadwick was 2-for-3 with a double, a single, reached base on an error, and scored once. Busby went 2-for-3 for PV with a double, a single, a fielder's choice, and scored once.
 
Chadwick pitched the entire game for the Wolves, allowing five hits, striking out four, and walking four. Randolph pitched five-plus innings for the Vikings, allowing three runs, eight hits, striking out three, and walking one. Jordan Schwarz pitched the sixth inning, allowing one run, two hits, striking out one, and walking one. Nick Flory pitched the seventh inning and gave up one hit.