Valencia opened the 2026 summer slate on the road at Newbury Park and pushed the Panthers to the final out before falling 7-6, climbing back into the game three separate times and bringing the tying run to the plate in the seventh.

The Vikings struck first. In the second, Casey Nickson reached on an error and JT Gurne singled, and the bottom of the order cashed in: Braden Cianci doubled down the left-field line to score Nickson, and Tyler Lord singled home Gurne for an early 2-0 lead.

Newbury Park answered with a five-run swing across the second and third innings, but Valencia kept clawing back. In the fourth, Ryan Nguyen doubled and Nickson walked, and again it was the bottom of the order delivering, Braden Cianci with an RBI single and Tyler Lord with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one.

The Vikings drew within 7-6 in the sixth when Evan Conrad and Ryan Nguyen both drew walks and Casey Nickson tripled them home for his second and third RBI of the day. Valencia got the tying run aboard again in the seventh but could not push it across.

Tyler Lord and Braden Cianci were the story at the plate, hitting back-to-back and each going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Nickson finished 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBI, two runs, and a walk, and Ryan Nguyen reached three times with a double, a walk, and two runs scored from the heart of the order. Lord also caught all seven innings behind the plate.

On a developmental day that ran six Valencia arms through seven innings, Andrew Gomez started and struck out three over 1.2 innings, and Charles Goodman, Jaedyn Morales, and Caden Cabunoc each followed with scoreless or near-scoreless relief. The defense was flawless, no errors and a double play; in the end, the eight walks the staff issued were the difference on the night.