BOUNTIFUL — In the end, the game between the Northridge Knights and the Viewmont Vikings came down to just a few inches.

That was how close the last pitch was called to end the game in the top of the seventh inning, when Carter Hanson struck out the final Knight batter as they were threatening to take the game to extra innings.

After each team started the game trading a pair of runs, the Vikings continued their end of the scoring in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Garrett Bushman was able to reach base thanks to a Knight error. Ryan Workman immediately followed him getting on base as he lined a triple over the right fielder’s head, scoring Bushman to take a one run lead.

Workman scored two batters later when Jordan Hager singled to center with Workman on base.

Viewmont scored another run in the bottom of the fourth, when Kyle Bilbrey helped his cause on the mound by crossing the plate and extending the Vikings’ lead.

Bilbrey reached based when the Vikings had two outs, then Jeff Rawlings lined the Vikings’ second triple of the game to right-center field. The Vikings took a 5-2 lead as the Knights continued to search for a way to score runs.

Bilbrey on the mound, meanwhile, continued to dominate the Knights’ hitters, making them look confused at times while working many counts in his favor and getting ground outs and strikeouts. From the second to the sixth inning, he allowed only two hits, and the Knights were only able to get to third base just once in those five innings. Though Bilbrey only recorded two strikeouts in that span, he induced seven groundouts (one of them turned for a double play), and got the rest via pop out or fly out.

Viewmont scored a crucial pair of runs in their half of the sixth to stretch their lead to six runs, though it wasn’t going to last long. Viewmont’s runs started with Brad Payne singling after a fly out. Bilbrey worked out a walk before Rawlings flied out to center field. That’s when Bushman, a six-foot junior outfielder, took the second pitch he saw and turned it into a triple, scoring both Payne and Bilbrey. The inning ended with a groundout, and the Knights were determined to make a comeback charge.

The Knights took off after the second hitter in the inning lined a single with one out. A throwing error put runners on first and second, but Bilbrey forced a fly ball out then hit the next batter, giving Viking coach Kyle Farnsworth the decision to make a change on the mound.

After Hanson took Bilbrey’s place on the mound, he allowed a singled scoring two runs and cutting the lead down to just a single run. The last batter for Northridge was quickly down two strikes before getting into a battle with Hanson. After fouling off several of Hanson’s pitches, the Knight, with a surprised look on his face, struck out to end the game with the tying run standing at third base.

The Vikings are now 10-1 in Region 1 play, holding a one-and-a-half game lead over Northridge. With just four games remaining on their schedule, they’ll be on the road for all of them, including another game against the Knights.

Bilbrey pitched a strong game for the Vikings, going six and two-thirds innings allowing six runs (four of them earned) while striking out two. Bushman went two-for-four at the plate for the Vikings with a triple and two RBI’s.