Pirates look to wrap up division title Monday night
BELLINGHAM — The Moses Lake Pirates finished up their six-game road trip over the weekend by taking two straight games with the Bellingham Bells.
Moses Lake won the series finale Saturday night 1-0, a day after an 8-4 victory over the Bells stopped the Pirates' modest two-game losing streak and strengthened their hold on first place in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League's East Division.
On Saturday, the Pirates used their tremendous pitching staff as the key to victory. Starter Michael Ratigan went seven innings, shutting out Bellingham on three hits and one walk while striking out six. Lee Roberts and Daniel Wolford each pitched a perfect inning of relief, with Wolford striking out the side in the ninth for his 10th save of the season.
The Pirates (25-11) got the only run of the ball game in the fifth. Designated hitter Brad Tracy singled with one out, and though Tracy was erased on a fielder's choice grounder, Zach Hedges moved to second base with two outs on a passed ball. Ryan Bernsen came through with a single to score Hedges.
That was the only blemish of an otherwise terrific start for Bellingham's Mark Triolo, who allowed the Pirates six hits and three walks in eight innings. Triolo finished with four Ks.
Moses Lake had seven hits, all singles, from seven different players — Zach Kim, Kevin Coddington, Marcus Tackett, Curran Redal, Tracy, Bernsen and Hedges.
On Friday, the Pirates withstood a seventh-inning surge from Bellingham (14-21) to get the 8-4 win.
Kim ignited Moses Lake's offense early, singling to lead off the game, stealing second and scoring on Mike Capbarat's one-out single. An inning later, the Pirates made it 2-0 as Tackett led off with a triple and scored on Bernsen's ground ball.
Bellingham narrowed the gap in its half of the second as Jacob Clem singled, moved to second on Kyle Holloway's sacrifice bunt and scored on Doug Cherry's single.
But the Pirates pushed the lead to 4-1 in the third, loading the bases with no outs. Tackett singled to bring in Steve Tinoco and Capbarat. Moses Lake scored twice more in the sixth, using back-to-back doubles from Tracy and Redal for one run and a wild pitch for another. In the seventh, Tackett coaxed a leadoff walk, moved to third on a Bersen double and scored on Tracy's single.
Moses Lake's Cam Gill relieved starter Tyler Rogers to start the seventh, and the Bells immediately went to work on him. Dick Bargewell doubled in two runs, Billy Krause singled in another, and Bellingham was suddenly within three at 7-4.
But Roberts and Wolford were again stellar in relief, and the Pirates pushed across one run in the eighth to solidify the win.
Rogers (3-1) earned the victory, allowing six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings.
Tackett was 3 for 3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Tracy was 4 for 5, scored a run and drove in another. Kim, Tinoco and Coddington all had two hits apiece as Moses Lake pounded Bellingham's Kirby Morsching and Paul Jinkens for 16 hits.
The Pirates return to Larson Field tonight, hosting the Wenatchee AppleSox at 7:35 p.m. Ben Guidos (1-2, 3.24 earned-run average) makes the start for Moses Lake.
The AppleSox (18-16) have played well recently, but still trail the Pirates by six games in the East. A win in any game of the series — which continues Tuesday in Wenatchee and finishes Wednesday in Moses Lake — would clinch the division title for the Pirates.