LEWISTON, ID — The Grand View Vikings baseball season came to a close Saturday, after a back-and-forth battle against the No. 7 seeded University of the Cumberlands Patriots. The Vikings tried making a late rally, but their efforts came up short as they dropped the contest 8-6.
After a quick three and out first inning from the Vikings' offense, Jason Moist took the mound for his World Series debut. Cumberlands managed to plate a run in the bottom of the first with a ground out RBI. Grand View was able to answer in the top of the third when Evan Borst knocked an RBI single to center to tie the game at 1-1, bringing home Connor Canny, who was running for Brock Rinehart after he reached on a hit-by-pitch.
A costly error in the bottom of the third inning allowed the Patriots to bring in two runs pushing their lead to 3-1. The Vikings stuck to it though, and in the top of the fifth inning with two outs, Hank Himrich hit a clutch two run double up the first base line to even the score 3-3. The Vikings put Jacob Draeger on the mound in the fifth, where Cumberlands was able to add a single run putting them back ahead to 4-3. Jacob Wolver took the mound in the sixth inning, but Cumberlands bats were still hot. The Patriots extended their lead to 6-3 in the sixth after a passed ball allowed a run to score and a sac fly added another run before Grand View could stop the bleeding.
Still, the Vikings refused to go away quietly. In the seventh, Evan Borst delivered a sac fly to bring the score to 6-4. Then, in the eighth, a fielding miscue and a hit-by-pitch gave Grand View life, and Patrick Bergkamp crossed the plate on a fielder's choice, narrowing the gap to 6-5. The Patriots struck back quickly in the bottom of the eighth. A lead off double and back-to-back singles allowed them to stretch their lead to 8-5.
In the ninth, Grand View mounted one last charge. Hank Himrich crushed a solo homer over the center field wall, his fourth hit of the day, to make it 8-6. Brook Heinen reached on an error to keep hopes alive, but the rally came up short as a strikeout and fly out ended the game 8-6 and the Viking Baseball team's first World Series appearance since 1991.
Game Notes:
