Pirates win with a little Tinoco mojo

Moses Lake takes league opener on outfielder's two-out, ninth-inning hit

MOSES LAKE — There was a little electricity in the air Thursday night at Larson Field.

No, one of those patented Columbia Basin thunderstorms hadn't rolled in, but rather, the Kitsap BlueJackets for the opening game of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League season. It was a much different atmosphere than the Moses Lake Pirates had felt in their six non-league games and it showed.

"It was our first league game, so we were coming out pretty pumped," Pirate outfielder Steve Tinoco said.

With the game tied at 3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tinoco delivered some lightning of his own, a game-winning single that sent Moses Lake home happy with a 4-3 victory.

After winning all six games against non-league foes Tacoma and Olympia, the Pirates received a much stiffer test from the BlueJackets, who led for most of the game and just missed on some chances to win in the latter innings.

"We haven't been down a whole lot our first few games," Moses Lake head coach Gabe Boruff said. "Being down 3-1, I was real proud to see my team battle back and not quit."

Boruff was ejected in the top of the ninth for arguing with the umpire, but assistant coach Kyle Heaverlo kept things together. Levi Cheshire led off the Pirates' ninth and got plunked by Kitsap reliever Shane Kaufman. TJ Bernardy laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, and after Kaufman struck out pinch hitter Marcus Tackett, an intentional walk and an error loaded the bases.

Time for a little Tinoco mojo. The 6-foot-1 sophomore-to-be at Long Beach State smacked Kaufman's first offering deep into the hole at shortstop. Kitsap's Jamie Nilsen lunged and stabbed it, but couldn't flip the ball to second base in time.

"I was just trying to see a first-pitch strike and swing at it," Tinoco said of the play. "I was trying to shorten up my swing, keep it steady."

Moses Lake trailed 3-1 in the sixth, but tied it on a wild play with two outs. Jesse Ayala slapped a single to left, scoring Zach Kim. Kitsap left fielder Matt Kole tried to gun down Ayala hustling for second, but threw the ball into right field, allowing Ryan Bernsen to trot in with the equalizer.

The BlueJackets took a 2-0 lead in the second, scoring on Joey Lind's single and a fielder's choice grounder from Josh Meeker. The Pirates trimmed their deficit in the fourth after Tinoco coaxed a lead-off walk, advanced to third on a pair of passed balls and scored on Bernsen's groundout.

Kitsap nearly blew the game open in the fifth, scoring an unearned run and loading the bases with one out. But Moses Lake starter Tyler Rogers got Nilsen to ground into what proved to be a crucial double play.

Rogers went six gutsy innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four. Ben Graham got the win in relief, tossing three innings of shutout ball with four punch-outs.

"I think our bullpen is going to carry us for the rest of the summer," Boruff said. "Pitching does win ballgames and that's what it's done for us our first seven ballgames."

Ephrata High School graduate Michael Ratigan takes the mound for the Pirates tonight as they continue the series with Kitsap at 7:30 p.m. Ratigan worked out of the bullpen for Washington State as a freshman this spring, and Boruff is hoping he shows improvement in his second start of summer ball.

"He hasn't started in a year," Boruff said. "His first start the other day was shaky — he had to get comfortable."