Chiefs win baseball doubleheader

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chiefs fell behind early in both games of a doubleheader with the Walla Walla Blue Devils Saturday, but found a way to squeeze out a pair of one run victories to improve to 4-2 in Columbia Basin League play.

Moses Lake won the first game 3-2, then came back with a 4-3 win to earn the sweep over the Blue Devils.

In game one, Walla Walla scored two runs in the third inning of Chiefs' starter Corey Hitchcock, but the Moses Lake starter regained control and held the Blue Devils scoreless the rest of the way.

While Hitchcock's six-hit, 12-strikeout performance kept the Chiefs in the game, Moses Lake struggled to support their starter early on.

The Chiefs got it going in the sixth inning, when Aaron Morice and Hitchcock led off with back-to-back singles. After a wild pitch let the Chiefs' base runners advance to second and third, Brett Fredericksen got Moses Lake on the board with a groundout that scored Morice.

Jacob Lacelle then tied the game with a double that brought Hitchcock in to knot the score at two.

Hitchcock retired the side in order in the top of the seventh, giving Moses Lake a chance to win the game in the bottom half of the inning.

Josh Martinez led off the seventh with a single for Moses Lake. Matt Valdez was then hit by a pitch to put the winning run in scoring position. The runners both advanced a base when the Walla Walla pitcher was called for a balk.

With one out and runners on second and third, Chase Hunter brought in the winning run for Moses Lake with a squeeze bunt that scored Martinez from third base.

If the first game wasn't enough excitement for home crowd at Larson Playfield, the Chiefs treated the fans to another come-from-behind win in the second half of Saturday's doubleheader.

Walla Walla picked up a run in the top of the first inning, but Moses Lake took over the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first.

The Blue Devils scored twice in the second for a 3-2 lead, once again putting the pressure on the Moses Lake offense to produce.

Moses Lake starting pitcher Troy Stephens, who struck out six in seven innings of work, helped his own cause with a game-tying RBI in the fourth inning that scored Martinez.

While the Chiefs meticulously manufactured their winning run in the first game, they got the eventual game winner with one swing of the bat in the second contest. In the fifth inning, with game tied at three, Fredericksen belted a solo home run that gave Moses Lake a 4-3 lead.

Looking to protect the lead, Stephens stuck out the first two batters he faced in the top of the sixth inning. Walla Walla wasn't done fighting though, as the Blue Devils strung together a pair of singles to start a rally.

The Moses Lake starter ended the threat by getting an infield popup to third baseman Valdez that brought the top of the sixth inning to a close.

In the top of the seventh, Stephens retired the Blue Devils in order to secure the complete-game victory.

Hitchcock led the Chiefs offensively against Walla Walla, finishing the day 3 for 6. Aaron Morice went 2 for 3 in the first game versus the Blue Devils, while both Fredericksen and Stephens were 2 for 3 with an RBI each in the second game.