DOWNEY - The Downey High School baseball team currently has an overall record of 9-11 and a league record of 6-3.Thanks to a home and home sweep of Gahr last week on April 17 and April 20 respectively, the Vikings are now tied with Gahr and Warren atop the S.G.V.L. standings. The Vikings are on a roll right now, winning six straight games, after starting the season 3-11 overall and 0-3 in league. Early losses and consequential growing pains against Division I schools has certainly paid off for the upstart Vikings and those experiences have proven key. The Vikings current winning streak started with a sweep of Dominguez three weeks ago and has kept going from there. Several Vikings are playing well right now. Lead-off man Anthony Cortez is getting on base, Yamel Delgado is driving in runs, pitcher Gabriel Llanes is pitching well and currently holds a 2-0 record and Alex Rodriguez is delivering timely, clutch hits. Rodriguez came up huge against Gahr last week in the Vikings come from behind 7-4 victory on Friday where he had an RBI single in the fourth inning and crushed a two-run triple in the seventh inning over the right-fielder's head off Gladiator relief pitcher Andrew Encinas, breaking a 4-4 tie. That triple all but clinched the win against Gahr and, in the process, gave the Vikings a share of the S.G.V.L. lead. Coach Gonzalez is certainly pleased with the recent play of his squad and hopes it continues for the duration of the season. The Vikings still have six league games to play and two very difficult games this week. This will certainly be a telling week for the Vikings and will most likely determine where they will end up as the league season comes to an end and the C.I.F. playoffs start.

********** Published: April 26, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 02