For six innings the afternoon game belonged to Valencia. Gavin Dunbar worked out of traffic all day, the defense turned a first-inning 6-4-3 double play and played errorless baseball, and the freshmen cashed four West Ranch errors into a 5-2 lead through six.

The seventh took it all back. West Ranch sent ten batters to the plate against Matthew Webb: two walks and Michael Hong's single loaded the bases, singles by #8 and Will Hernandez cut the lead to one, Eli Saguibo's bases-loaded walk tied it, Luke Nelson's single to center put the Wildcats ahead, and Roman Macias's fielder's choice made it 7-5.

Valencia answered with one last push. Jackson Lord reached on West Ranch's fourth error of the game, Jace Lindstrom singled, and Nate Marroquin was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, but Sam Crawford got a foul-tip strikeout and a fly ball to right to strand all three and finish the doubleheader sweep.

Saguibo went 3-for-3 for West Ranch. Marcus Paikos drove in two, stole two bases, and hit in his fifth straight game, and Marroquin and Elijah Avlas added two hits apiece. Twice a Valencia inning ended with a runner caught stealing third, outs that loomed large in a two-run game.