Vikings baseball lose big against Delta in final game of season

The Inquirer: Student Voice of Diablo Valley College Website

Aaron Tolentino | Sports editor | April 28, 2018

The Diablo Valley College Vikings lost big in their final game of the season by a final score of 16-1 against the San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs on Friday afternoon in Pleasant Hill.

The Mustangs finished their regular season off at 34-6, which is the best record among all community college teams in California.

DVC finished off their year with a 14-25 record.

Vikings sophomore pitcher Rob Towne took the mound for his final start, but the outcome was not what he had hoped for.

Towne went 4 1/3 innings before being pulled in the fifth inning. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits and two walks.

"I just wanted to put us on a high note and give the team a chance," said Towne as he reflects on his last DVC start. "Good group of guys and past two years have been a fun ride and just wanted to end on a high note but unfortunately didn't go our way today."

The Mustangs piled it on the Vikings in the fifth inning, scoring eight runs to break the game wide open at 11-1.

The Vikings' offense was only able to muster one run on seven hits all afternoon.

However, shortstop Jordan Williams and second baseman Isaq Lewis both had two-hit days.

The 16-1 loss was not a pretty way to end the season for the Vikings, but the theme of the season was a team without much depth.

Throughout the season, position players such as Nick Simmons and Jonathon Waite were asked to pitch for a short-handed Vikings pitching staff. Reliever Evan Gravenmier started to see time at the plate hitting as well.

Multiple guys were playing out of position to simply fill holes in whatever positions needed replacements.

"It shows the character this team has and the athleticism that we have here," said first baseman Jared Bannister. "We got guys that can play multiple positions. We had two pitchers that were hitting."

Towne announced via Instagram Tuesday that he will be continuing his baseball career at Sonoma State University. He hopes to take what he has learned playing baseball at DVC to the next level.

"I think just the work ethic," said Towne. "Showing up every day and giving everything that you have. Group of guys, the relationship that you build and not taking that for granted."

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