The Diablo Valley College softball team headed into their ninth game against American River, on Tuesday March 29.

American River started off the first inning strong, getting a player to third base and ultimately home, scoring the first run as Nicole Nordahl of DVC pitched.

The Vikings got two quick outs in the bottom of the first. Cynthia Dueñas hit it hard to left field and managed to get to first, Bailey Simmons hit a ground ball getting to first allowing Dueñas to take second. Julia Pelletier walked to first, moving Dueñas to third.

Mallory Barnard came up to bat with the bases loaded and two outs, and after four balls, walked to first getting Dueñas home and tying up the game, 1-1.

The second inning went by quickly, thanks to Vikings defense and impeccable pitching by Nordahl, with three back to back outs.

Defense continued to shine in the third. The Vikings got two quick outs before allowing the one hit in the inning, but no runs were scored in the third.

The Vikings returned to bat and Kaitlyn VanMotman hit a ground ball, taking first base. The team managed to get players on both second and third, but Barnard struck out, leaving them scoreless in the third inning as well.

The Beavers scored a home-run in the top of the fourth, but the Vikings came up short, making the score 2-1.

The tides began to turn, however, in the top of the fifth as DVC defense struggled to keep control of the ball, allowing American River to take first and second base with no outs.

The Vikings approached the mound and reconvened. With bases loaded, DVC defense and Nordahl managed to get out of a jam, leaving the score 2-1, Beavers in front.

The Beavers scored in the top of the sixth bringing the score to 3-1.

The Vikings set up the sixth inning with two early outs, but with two out hitting, the Vikings managed to tack on a run making it a close game with the score of, 3-2.

In the seventh inning of the game the Beavers came out swinging and Vikings defense got chomped. A dropped pop fly allowed two Beavers to score, 5-2, and the following batter brought in another run, 6-2.

With two outs and a Beaver on second, defense came back to hurt the Vikings again, allowing two more runs to score. The Vikings would not score in the bottom of the seventh inning, leaving the final score at, 7-2.

After the game, pitcher Nordahl commented on the team’s performance, “We didn’t play as well as we could have.”

Pelletier added as to why, “They hit really well. They kept hitting the ball up the middle and there was nothing we could do.”

Being tied for third in the Big 8 is no small feat though, as Julianna Deighton pointed out, “The Big 8 is the hardest conference in California.”

As for the remaining conference games, Nordahl commented on what they will be working on, “We need to improve on hitting and not leaving people on base.”

Vikings are tied for third place in the Big 8 conference with Sierra College, and travel to Consumes River to play a double header this Friday, April 1, at 1 p.m. Vikings return home to challenge Modesto, Tuesday April 5, at 3 p.m.