Baseball: Valencia knocks off No. 1-ranked West Ranch, 3-2

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So much for Valencia West Ranch’s stay as the No. 1-ranked team in Southern Section Division I. Valencia pulled out a 3-2 Foothill League victory over the Wildcats Wednesday when relief pitcher Dylan Jones got Jared Ortiz to line out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.

Valencia (17-6, 10-2) is now tied for first place with West Ranch (19-5, 10-2) going into a Friday game at West Ranch.

Valencia got a home run from freshman Trey Williams to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning. The Vikings took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when West Ranch pitcher Trevor Fredrickson was called for a balk with runners on second and third. They added an insurance run in the sixth on a triple by Alex Pitman and a single by Scotland McKenzie.

Valencia used four pitchers to limit West Ranch’s highly regarded hitting attack to five hits.

In another Foothill League game, Newhall Hart defeated Canyon Country Canyon, 11-5.

-- Eric Sondheimer