Moses Lake pitchers turn tables on Bend

MOSES LAKE — With the Bend Elks coming in to town for a three-game series this weekend, the Moses Lake Pirates needed their pitching staff to step up in a big way. Just one week ago, the WCCBL's top run-producing offense torched Moses Lake pitching for 23 runs during a three-game sweep of the Pirates in Bend.

This time around, Moses Lake's big guns would take down the Elks, holding Bend to just seven runs over the weekend as the Pirates swept Bend out of town by winning three straight.

The Pirates got excellent starting performances from Dale Reneau, Tyler Rogers and Michael Ratigan over the weekend to push their record to 19-8 entering the All-Star break, giving Moses Lake the league's best record and what looks to be an all but insurmountable lead in the WCCBL's East Division.

"It feels good to be on top," said Moses Lake coach Gabe Boruff. "It gives the kids a lot of confidence."

"It's good to beat these teams that beat us last year," the Moses Lake coach added.

While it would appear that the Pirates have already locked up the East Division title, as they lead the Wenatchee AppleSox by seven games with just 15 to play in the regular season, Boruff isn't expecting the Pirates to coast into the postseason.

"You can never predict the second half," said Boruff. "It's intense baseball."

"Those teams have got great coaches and great players," Boruff added. "We've gotta stay hot."

If heat is what the Pirates need, they certainly got it from their starting pitchers over the weekend, as the trio of Moses Lake hurlers simply dominated Bend. On Friday, Reneau threw seven brilliant innings, allowing just one run on four hits. The Pirates' starter struck out nine to increase his league-leading total to 46 on the season and pushed his record to 4-0 on the year.

While Bend scored four runs off Moses Lake reliever Josh Fish, the Pirates were never in danger of losing their lead. Moses Lake scored four runs in the first inning Friday, and led 9-1 in the fifth before the Bend rally made the final score 9-5.

Offensively, the Pirates churned out 13 base hits and made solid contact most of the night. Boruff credits his team's recent increase in offensive production to a more aggressive approach at the plate.

"We were taking a lot of called third strikes," explained the Moses Lake coach. "I've just been really preaching about being aggressive on fastball counts."

Saturday, Rogers turned another gem for Moses Lake, going six innings with just two earned runs allowed on five hits. Three of those hits came during a rough stretch in the second inning, as Bend led off the inning with three consecutive hits to score one of their two runs on the night.

Moses Lake answered Bend's run in the second with one of their own, then scored in the third to take a 2-1 lead. Bend tied the game at two in the top of the fourth, but the Pirates came right back with a run in the bottom half of the frame to reclaim the lead for good. Moses Lake would add an insurance run in the sixth inning on their way to the 4-2 victory.

Mike Capbarat held the hot bat Saturday night for Moses Lake, going 3 for 4 from the plate. Billy Swanson went 2 for 2 with a run scored and an RBI, while Ratigan was also 2 for 2 with an RBI.

Sunday night, Ratigan took to the mound hoping to give Moses Lake the sweep of Bend. Ratigan didn't disappoint the home crowd, throwing seven innings of one-hit ball and striking out six along the way. More importantly, Ratigan kept the Pirates in control of a close game. Moses Lake took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, and finally gave their starter a little breathing room with two more runs in the sixth inning. The three runs would be all Moses Lake would need, as the Pirates' bullpen pitched two scoreless innings to secure the 3-0 win and the sweep.

"That guy gave us a great chance to win," said Boruff of his Sunday starter.

While Boruff is naturally pleased with his team's performance on the field, there are other things going on at the ballpark that have the Moses Lake coach excited to come to the ballpark each day.

"I'm really enjoying what we're seeing in the stands." remarked Boruff. "Putting people in the stands, the energy level in the stadium is higher."

The Pirates have a few days off for the WCCBL All-Star game before returning to action Thursday in Spokane. Moses Lake takes on the RiverHawks Thursday and Friday in Spokane before returning to Larson Field on Sunday to finish up the three- game series with their East Division rivals.