Around the Horn 3-27-17

DVC AROUND THE HORN
DVC SOFTBALL RIDES MANOA EXPRESS
The surging Diablo Valley softball team swept a doubleheader against American River in the Big 8 Conference on Saturday, 3-2 and 10-2, extending its winning streak to four.
Sita Manoa had a big afternoon. In addition to going the distance for both pitching wins, she hammered out five hits in seven at-bats. Manoa was 3 for 3 with two RBI in the 3-2 win. She was also 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI in the 10-2 win, a six-inning game.
The Vikings broke open the second game with a four-run rally in the first inning, in which Manoa had an RBI single and scored, Madeline Cervantes singled home Marissa Maddox, and Ciara Whitesell had an RBI single. Catcher Terri Taylor, who was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, also scored in the uprising.
Maddox smashed a two-run home run in the second inning, scoring Kaitlyn Van Motman, who was 3 for 4 with two runs scored.
DVC set the tone with 10 hits in the first game as Maddox was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a double. Taylor had an RBI double and a run scored. The determined Manoa struck out seven and walked seven, throwing 148 pitches over the seven innings. She also threw 86 pitches in the second game.
The Vikings also won a nonconference thriller over Foothill 3-2 in eight innings on Thursday, as Taylor scored the winning run. Cervantes walked and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth, giving DVC a 1-0 lead. After Foothill hit a two-run homer in the sixth, the resilient Vikings tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the inning. Taylor reached on a fielder's choice and scored on Elvia Alvarado's double.
The Vikings (14-7, 7-6) will hit the road this week for a Big 8 game at Santa Rosa on Tuesday and a doubleheader at Sacramento City on Saturday.

TRACK AND FIELD
On a rainy first day of the American River College Invitational, DVC freshman Jack Pickard came in sixth in his very first decathlon with a score of 4,861. Freshman Richard Atthowe was 12th (4,057) in his first decathlon. Sophomore Anyel Thomas placed fifth with a score of 3184 in her first heptathlon.
On Saturday, freshman Edrees Gul ran a personal best 57.21 in the men's 400-meter hurdles, and freshman Terrell Koon ran a personal best of 57.87 to achieve a NorCal provisional mark.
The DVC men's 4x100 relay ran a season best of 41.53 for the second fastest time in NorCal and third in the state. The team members were Mousawer Safi, Nigel Burnett, Nathan Noble, and Lionel White.
Freshman Joseph Malott cleared 4.20 meters in the pole vault -- a NorCal provisional mark which ranks him seventh in NorCal.
Sophomore Laura Becerra opened her 3000m steeplechase season in fine form, with a 12:23.91, a NorCal provisional mark which ranks her second in NorCal and is just off her personal best of 12:23.42.

BASEBALL
The Vikings (8-17, 3-6) fought back but fell short in an 8-7 loss to Hartnell on Saturday in nonconference play.
DVC rallied with three runs in its final two at-bats.
Shortstop Jordan Williams was 3 for 3 with a double and a run scored, and catcher Drew Downing had two doubles with a run and an RBI. DH Zachary Guardino and center fielder Ricky Pato both had two hits.
Frank Panacci had an RBI single to center in the eighth, and the Vikings manufactured two runs on one hit in the ninth as Liam Knowles and Pato had RBIs.
DVC will start a three-game series against Santa Rosa in the Big 8 on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., and will travel to Santa Rosa on Thursday. They will host Santa Rosa at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

TENNIS
The Vikings fell to host American River 5-0 on March 21 in the semifinals of the Big 8 Tournament, after beating Shasta 9-0 on March 17. DVC will travel to Cabrillo on Tuesday.
-- Matt Schwab