A missed opportunity

Big Bend splits with last-place Yakima Valley

MOSES LAKE — Three bad innings.

That's what prevented Big Bend from sweeping Yakima Valley's softball team at Big Bend Community College Saturday. The Lady Yaks scored eight runs off three errors to win game one 11-9, but Kelly Martinez helped the Vikings forget the first game with a first inning grand slam in the second game, leading Big Bend to an 8-0 win for the split.

"Yakima took advantage of our mistakes," Big Bend head coach Ken Johnson said.

Martinez found trouble early in game one, giving up a second inning solo home run to Ana Elizondo, then hit Sabrina Tyhurst and Lindsey Lick to put two runners on with one out. Darcee Fickel reached base on a throwing error by Martinez and Tyhurst came around to score the second run of the game.

Mitzi McMurrin hit a single to center to score Lick and a missed fly ball to right field allowed Fickel to score the fourth run of the inning. McMurrin scored the final run of the inning off an infield single.

Lick extended the lead to 6-0 in the third with an RBI single and Elizondo drove in two more runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 9-0.

Big Bend found life at the plate in the fifth when Genna Pintor and Megan Platz hit two-run doubles and Martinez hit a two-run home run to cut the Lady Yaks' lead to 11-6. In the sixth, Platz brought another run in on a bases loaded walk and Pintor and Natalin Jones drove in the final runs for Big Bend in the seventh before Miranda Bailey popped out to end the game with Yakima on top 11-9 and bases loaded.

Errors cost Big Bend game one of the doubleheader, but Johnson said underestimating their opponent was a bigger factor as the Lady Yaks were winless in league going into the game.

"That assumption cost us," Johnson said about the loss.

The Vikings played a different second game, with Platz driving in her third run of the series on a single to right field. Erica McAlmond followed with a single to load the bases and Martinez connected for a grand slam, her second home run in the doubleheader.

Sarah Elizalde scored the eighth run to clinch the shutout in game two in the fifth inning.

"They took better selection at the plate," Johnson said. The Lady Vikings scored 17 runs from the fifth inning of the first game and through the second game, a number Johnson said should have given Big Bend the sweep.

The Lady Vikings remained in fourth-place in the Eastern Region by a game over Walla Walla for the final playoff spot. Big Bend faces second-place Spokane on Tuesday, while Walla Walla squares off against first-place Columbia Basin.

"There is no downtime," Johnson said of the Lady Vikings' chances of making the playoffs.