A perfect start for Moses Lake
Moses Lake first baseman Zane Bator, left, tags out Kennewicks' Sean Sloppy after getting picked off on a throw from catcher Brad Tracy in the second game of a doubleheader at Larson Playfield on Friday.<br>Brad Redford/ Columbia Basin Herald
The Chiefs sweep Kennewick in first doubleheader of the season
MOSES LAKE — Chad Hunter started where he left off and the Moses Lake baseball team started better than it had hoped.
Hunter pushed his streak of games without giving up an earned run to four after pitching seven innings, allowing four hits and one unearned run to the Kennewick Lions. Hunter also finished with 12 strikeouts in the game.
Derek Dietzen pitched the next two innings for the Chiefs to pick up the 2-1 win in the first game of a doubleheader at Larson Playfield on Friday. Brandon Price picked up the other win after allowing one unearned run in the fifth for a 3-1 decision in the second game.
"Getting that first one with Chad, we knew we had a shot with that, then Brandon to come in there, he did a tremendous job," Moses Lake head coach Ed McNamara said.
Price finished with six strikeouts and allowed three hits in the win.
Moses Lake needed extra innings in the first game to put Kennewick away. The Lions' Wes Carmen threw a gem in the first seven innings, allowing one run on three hits, while striking out six batters faced.
In the bottom of the ninth, Zach Martinez reached base on a walk, then came around to score on a wild pitch for the 2-1 win.
C.J. McClure retired eight straight batters, five by strikeout, before Brady Coker reached base in the third inning of the second game on a two-out pitch. Brandon Redal, who finished the game 2-for-3 with two singles, got a basehit to break up the no-hitter.
In the fourth, Jeremy Martinez hit a two-out single to right field and Brad Tracy moved him to third on a single down the left field line. Moses Lake got its first break when Josh Munoz hit a pop up to the shortstop Andy Cole, who couldn't come up with the catch to score Martinez.
Cole redeemed himself after reaching base on a Munoz error in the fifth and came around on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
Zane Bator and Chad Hunter drove in back-to-back runs in the bottom half of the fifth to push the lead to 3-1 and Price needed seven batters to retire Kennewick over the next two innings for the win.
"It gives us a big boost," McNamara said about the win. "I told these guys that if we can go against Kennewick and Richland and split, we will be in good shape."