MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Peterson

(Covina) – Northview let a 4-0 lead get away and fell to Kaiser 7-4 in eight innings Friday at Northview High. The Vikings led 4-0 through the first four innings before Kaiser rallied.

Jaidyn Brooks led the charge for the Cats belting three home runs including a two-run shot in the eighth inning that clinched it for Kaiser.

Northview, behind Fernando Casas, who threw four scoreless innings, carried the four-run lead into the top of the fifth. Brooks ripped a solo home run over the fence in left field to make it 4-1.

In the sixth Zeke Cortez walked and Niko Arteaga came in to run for him. Marcus Cortez doubled to drive in one run and Joey Chavez singled to drive in two more. Suddenly it was 4-3.

Levi Rosales relieved Casas in the seventh inning for Northview and Brooks greeted him with a home run that again cleared the fence in left to tie it at four.

The Vikings failed to score in the bottom of the seventh setting the stage for Brooks’ heroics in the eighth. With two out Chavez walked and Jocob Mota drilled a double to left to make it 5-4. Brooks then stepped in and unloaded his third dinger of the night – again a rope to left field that sailed over the fence to give the Cats a 7-4 lead.

The Vikings loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth but Gabriel Martinez struck out the last batter to end it.

Northview scored all of its runs in the fourth inning on four walks, an error and a hit. Isaiah Benavidez, Casas, Jake Aguilar and Jaime Gallardo all scored in the inning. Noah Martinez started things off with a base hit to center. The four-run lead looked safe until it wasn’t as Kaiser turned it around.

Casas went six innings for the Vikings and Rosales came on to work the last two innings. Kaiser used four pitchers on the day. Dom Roybal started and went two plus innings before giving way to Jyden Tapia. Caleb Inzunza and Martinez finished up with Martinez picking up the victory.

Kaiser improved to 8-4 with the victory while Northview fell to 5-6 on the season. The Vikings will open Valle Vista League play against Covina on April 1.

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