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Vikes ousted in Phoenix
Match against Hayden Winkleman too much for the Williams boys

Coach Johnny Hatcher signals to the batter during a recent game as Tyrell Valdivia looks on.

Coach Johnny Hatcher signals to the batter during a recent game as Tyrell Valdivia looks on.

The Williams Vikings traveled to Phoenix for what would become their final baseball game of the season. The boys took on the Hayden Winkleman Lobos at Maryvale Sports Park for a bright-eyed 9 a.m. game. Viking Alex Ruiz drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single. After one inning the score was Williams 1, Hayden Winkleman 0.

"We opened the game fairly decent," said Coach Phillip Echeverria. "We sacrificed in the second."

The Vikes failed to score in the second inning of the game, however, which allowed the Lobos to play a little catch up.

"We didn't score. They came up and got a base hit, sacrificed in the second, moved to third on a passed ball, then they squeezed," Echeverria said. "We could have had a play at the plate, but we went to first base, which is fine. We missed the ball at first base. It went off a glove (and) went out toward the right field and that guy went to third. It was pretty much downhill from there."

The Vikes committed four errors and gave up ten runs in the second inning of play. The third inning did not prove to be any better for the Vikes, who gave up another couple of errors and gave up an additional four runs. The Vikes ended the game with two hits for the day. Final score for the Vikes, marking their last game of the 2007 season, was Williams 1, Hayden Winkleman 14.

"Alex Ruiz had a hit and Trevor Parenteau had a hit for us," said Echeverria. "We really only sent, I think, 15 or 16 guys to the plate. We had three or four innings there where we went one, two, three, one, two, three. They threw a kid that was throwing strikes. We just didn't swing real well."

Echeverria said the Vikes played their normal defense for the game, but it proved inefficient against the Lobos. The Vikes finished the year 11, 14 and1.

"We averaged about five or six errors a game throughout the year," said Echeverria. "That's something you hope would improve and it just never got any better. We have a long way to go before we can compete. There's some talent there that can play the game of baseball. It's just work ethic and attitude adjustments, also a commitment to compete. We got a lot of kids that, maybe, are just out there to be out there, as something to do. They don't have that drive to compete. Hopefully that comes over this summer and over the next school year. There are some kids that can play baseball."

Three seniors competed in the 2007 baseball season for the Vikes: Derek Gauna, Jake MacDonald and Abel Valdez.

"We'll miss the seniors. All three of them did a good job this year for us," said Echeverria. "Abel caught and played the outfield. Jake was a utility player for us, caught, played third base, played a little outfield, played first base. Derek was our number one pitcher there for us and played center field and a little short-stop for us."

Both Gauna and MacDonald were named to the Senior All Star team. He'll play in the All-Star game June 2 in Surprise. First Team All Region selections include Gauna, MacDonald and Trevor Parenteau, according to Echeverria. Parenteau made Second Team All State from the Arizona Baseball Coaches Association as well, Echeverria said.

Coach Echeverria now plans to begin preparations for football season. Volunteer practice begins next week, according to him, and will continue throughout the summer.


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