Shaky defense wasted a spectacular pitching performance from David Hurlbut and nearly cost the Vikings the game April 24 against Sacramento City. 

DVC committed five errors, all of them leading directly to Sacramento City’s six runs. 

“Normally they are really good at defense, but that’s the way it goes sometimes,” said head coach Mike Neu. “Our pitchers picked them up, and our hitting came up big.”

The Vikings led throughout the game but made it interesting in the ninth inning.

Closer Harmen Sidhu allowed a lead-off single and then hit the next batter.  After getting a ground out, he allowed a walk to load the bases. 

“I said just to trust what he had, and things would go our way,” said catcher Deren Rher-Davis.  Then the defense behind Sidhu let him down, committing an error which allowed two runs to score and cut the DVC lead to 7-6. 

But Sidhu rebounded and forced a fly out to end the game, preserving the win and picking up his fifth save of the season. 

The Vikings offense continued what it has done all year, score runs.

DVC is ranked No. 1 in the Big 8 Conference in runs scored. The two teams ranked No. 2 are 38 runs behind the Vikings. 

“It’s a funny thing with our lineup,” Neu said.  “We’ve been swinging the bat really well, but production has come from a lot of different guys, and all those guys have come up big at different times.”

Rher-Davis led the Viking attack, going 2-4 with two RBIs and a homer that came in the fourth inning after failing to move the runners over with a sac bunt.

“It’s the team first, so I wish I got those down,” Rher-Davis said.  “But I figured since I missed those bunts I had to hit a home run.”

Hurlbut shut down the Sac City bats to open the game, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning before the usually sure-handed Viking defense started to crumble. 

DVC committed two errors in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the ninth all of which led to Sac City putting runs on the board. 

Hurlbut received a no-decision, even with his dominant performance of pitching six and two-thirds innings, while striking out 10 and only allowing four hits and four unearned runs. 

DVC avenged its loss to Sacramento City earlier in the week by a score of 11-9 and evened up the season series at two games apiece. 

The Vikings are currently ranked No. 3 in Northern California. With the win improved to 15-4 in conference play, they need just one more win to secure the conference championship. 

“It’s one of our goals to win a league championship,” Neu said. “That’s been our goal from day one since we came out here in the fall.”

Standing in their way is conference rival Cosumnes River, which is currently No. 2 in the Big 8 and No. 5 in Northern California. 

DVC played its last games of the season against Cosumnes River on Tuesday and Thursday, but the results weren’t available at press time.