Realistic hopes of winning a third consecutive Solano County Athletic Conference title pretty much went out the window for Benicia High’s varsity baseball team Friday after a 3-2 loss to host Vanden.

Vanden (13-5, 8-1 SCAC) completed a season sweep of the Panthers and has a commanding 2 1/2 game lead over American Canyon and Bethel. The Panthers, who lost to the Vikings for the second time in three days, fell to 10-9 overall and 4-5 in the SCAC, a game and a half out of a Sac-Joaquin Section playoff spot with six games remaining.

Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Vanden’s Jared Vitug got the winning rally started with a one-out single to center. Vitug promptly stole second and ended up scoring on a single to center by teammate Lorenzo Lara.

That was all the cushion Vanden pitcher Rylan Haney would need. Benicia had two runners on in the sixth inning but had a runner get picked off – one of two Panther runners to get picked off on the day. Isiah Saguar led off the top of the seventh with a bunt single, but a strikeout and a 6-4-3 double play ended Benicia’s hope for a comeback.

Haney pitched all seven innings for the Vikings, scattering four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Benicia pitcher Taylor Greene also tossed a complete game and struck out eight.

The Vikings took an early 1-0 lead and spent the rest of the day fighting off the Panthers. Eno Evans reached safely on an infield error to start the bottom of the first inning and eventually scored on a two-out single by Reames. The Panthers tied it in the top of the third when David King walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Anthony Altman and scored on a ground out by Ethan Payne.

Vitug got another Vanden rally started in the bottom of the third with an infield single. After a walk to Lara moved Vitug into scoring position, Reames delivered a RBI single up the middle to put the Vikings back in front.

Benicia tied it at 2-2 in the top of the fifth. Xian Covington-Hunt led off with a double to left, and after a fly out, King lashed a single to left that scored pinch runner Josiah Peterson.

The Panthers host Vacaville on Saturday morning and play at Vallejo on Wednesday.

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