Paly baseball beat Santa Clara 6-1 on Wednesday, April 1.

Coming off back-to-back losses to Los Gatos, the Vikings entered the game looking to move back toward an even record. They started strong, taking an early 3-0 lead in the third inning.

“We were making the right plays, offensively and defensively, and it helped us build an early lead,” junior Rex Martin said.

The Vikings stayed locked in defensively, holding Santa Clara to just one run and four hits while adding three more runs of their own.

“We need to take this defensive intensity and carry it into the following games,” Martin said. “Even though this was an easier game, some of the opponents coming up will be much tougher.”

The Vikings will face Santa Clara again on Friday as they look to keep winning league games and improve their playoff seeding. If Paly can continue playing with the same defensive focus, the team has a chance to strengthen its position in league and CCS standings.