DVC defeated Contra Costa College 7-3 on Thursday, Feb. 14.

DVC led from the start. Center fielder Cameron Rowland led off the bottom of the 1st with a double, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on a fielder’s choice.

With two outs in the 2nd inning, Tyler Basker got a single, Joe DeFazio was hit, then Rowland drove both of them in on a huge triple to right-center. DVC took a 3-0 lead, but their offense subsequently cooled down.

CCC threatened to catch up quickly in the 3rd inning. With a man on first and one out, Cody Ball walked the bases loaded. He quickly composed himself, inducing a 6-4-3 double play to end the rally.

CCC finally put a number in the run column in the 5th inning, scoring a runner from third on a groundout. During the following at-bat, shortstop Michael Brdar made the play of the game: on a ball grounded right up the middle, Brdar ranged to the precipice of the infield and outfield, fielded the ball cleanly, spun fully around, and threw a one hop strike to first baseman Devin Alexander. Alexander made a clean pick for the final out of the inning.

In the top of the 6th, Marcos Martinez replaced Ball on the mound. CCC immediately pounced on Martinez with a leadoff double and a RBI single to cut the Vikings’ lead to one.

The arrival of the 8th inning snapped DVC out of its offensive lull. Brdar led off with a single, advanced to third base on consecutive passed balls, and was driven in on a Michael Mann single to make it 4-2. Mann got to third on an Alexander double, then the pinch-hitting Phil Chavez cracked a two-run single. Marquis Cox pinch ran for Chavez, making his presence felt right away with steals of second and third. A RBI bloop single by Athan Koutsoubinas allowed Cox to score, pushing the lead to 7-2; all with no outs. DVC came back down to Earth after Cox’s run and the game moved to CCC’s last three outs.

Ricky Delgado, who had replaced Martinez in the 8th, looked poised to shut CCC down 1-2-3 to close the game. After the first two outs came easily, the third decided to make it interesting. Back-to-back batters reached and a RBI single drove the man from second in, pulling CCC closer at 7-3. An infield single loaded the bases, but Delgado got the final batter to popout to Brdar to end the game, giving DVC a 7-3 victory.

DVC’s next game is Saturday, Feb. 16 at LMC. Their next home game is Monday, Feb. 18 against Canada.