COALINGA – Starting pitcher Karter Pate tossed six strong innings while Jordan Berger drove in a pair of runs to help lead West Hills College Coalinga to a 7-4 win over visiting Taft College on Tuesday in Game 1 of a three-game Central Valley Conference series.

Game 2 is set for Thursday (Mar. 24) in Taft at 2 p.m. with the finale scheduled for Saturday (Mar. 26) back in Coalinga at 2 p.m.

Pate recorded his finest outing of the season, allowing just one unearned run and seven hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked one. Chris Lenocker closed out the win with a three-inning save, giving up three runs (one earned) and four hits.

West Hills jumped on Taft starting pitcher Chris Scherbarth early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Berger's sacrifice fly scored Jacob Stock for the Falcons' final run of the rally.

Jozaiah Valdez smacked an RBI triple to drive in Jacob Cruz in the fourth. West Hills put up two final runs in fifth as Agustin Castro led off with a solo home run and Berger collected his second RBI with a single that brought in Stock.

West Hills totaled 10 hits in the contest, getting two each from Valez (2 for 4, run, walk, RBI), Trenton Avitia (2 for 4, run), and Dion Sadao (2 for 4, RBI).

With the win, the Falcons snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 9-15 overall, 4-6 in conference play.