Westchester CC Vikings Walk-Off In Nail-Biter Against Oakton Owls
Winter Haven, FL — The Westchester Community College Vikings delivered late-game heroics Monday afternoon, walking off the Oakton Owls with a thrilling 3–2 victory in a tightly contested battle at the Chain O' Lakes Complex.
Both teams relied on dominant pitching throughout the afternoon, as each staff recorded seven strikeouts and kept offenses in check during a tense, low-scoring contest.
Westchester struck first in the bottom of the second inning. An Oakton error allowed the first run of the game to score before Jason Jackson (Arlington High School) followed with an RBI single to center field, giving the Vikings an early 2–0 advantage.
Oakton answered in the fourth inning when Combs delivered a clutch single down the right-field line, driving in two runs to even the score at 2–2.
From there, the game settled into a pitching duel. Reilly Deneen (North Salem, NY / North Salem High School) set the tone for the Vikings on the mound, working 5⅔ strong innings while allowing just two hits and two unearned runs. The right-hander struck out five and walked three to keep Westchester in control of the game's pace.
Out of the bullpen, Christian Peralta (East Elmhurst, NY / Christ the King) was dominant. The sophomore delivered 2⅓ shutout innings, allowing only two hits while striking out two and walking none. His steady relief performance kept the Owls off the scoreboard and set the stage for late-game drama.
With the score still locked at 2–2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, the Vikings seized their opportunity. Freshman Adriel Rodriguez (Saunders, NY / Saunders High School) stepped to the plate and lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home the winning run, sealing a dramatic walk-off victory for Westchester.
Jackson led the Vikings offensively with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate, while Jackson and Rodriguez each recorded an RBI.
When the opportunity finally arrived, the Vikings capitalized—turning a tense stalemate into another memorable victory for Westchester.
Game 2 was another tightly contested contest between these two teams. Robert Keller(Mahopac, NY/Mahopac High School) started for the Vikings and after a tough first inning where he gave up 2 was very solid for WCC. He pitched 5 and 3rd giving up 5 runs(4 earned).
It was a quiet offensive game for WCC but they were in striking distance at the end of the game. Brandon Davis(Danbury, CT/Danbury High School) recorded his first hit and gave the Vikings some life late but they would come up just short. Mercer Jordan(Beacon, NY/Beacon High School), Freddy Hemach(Pawling, NY/Pawling High School), Thomas Nunziata(Somers, NY/John F. Kennedy Preparatory School) and Davis all recorded hits for the Vikings.
WCC will face another test tomorrow when they play another double header against D1 Triton College out of Illinois and Bunker Hill Community College. Good luck to the Vikings!!
