Pirates winning the close games — over and over

Moses Lake using pitching, defense to fuel 11-0 start

KELOWNA, B.C. — It's not as though they're blowing away every opponent every night, but one thing is obvious.

The Moses Lake Pirates keep on winning.

The Pirates improved their West Coast Collegiate Baseball League mark to 5-0 Wednesday night with a 4-2 win over the Kelowna Falcons. Including their six non-league games before WCCBL play opened June 14, the Pirates were a perfect 11-0 on the season heading into the finale of their three-game set with the Falcons Thursday night.

Moses Lake already has a two-and-a-half game lead over the Spokane Riverhawks for first place in the WCCBL East Division. The Pirates will be hosting what figures to be a hugely entertaining three-game set when they return to Larson Field Friday against the Corvallis Knights, leaders of the West Division. The Knights are 5-1 after losing Thursday night for the first time, 3-2 to Bellingham.

In a league that's been controlled thus far by pitching, the Pirates are batting just .245. That mark, however, is third in the league behind Wenatchee (.266) and Kitsap (.258). The Pirates have won largely because of pitching — their staff has an earned-run average of 2.00 and is holding opponents to a .184 batting average — and a defense that has committed just six errors and has the second-best field percentage in the league at .967.

Pirate starters Ben Guidos and Dale Reneau are among the league leaders in pitching. Guidos pitched five scoreless innings in his first start, striking out two, while Reneau has a 1.08 ERA in two appearances and has fanned 10.

In Wednesday's 4-2 victory at Kelowna, the Pirates jumped all over Falcon starter James Paxton, scoring four runs and knocking Paxton out after just 1 1/3 innings.

Moses Lake scored three times in the first inning, all with two outs, after six straight hitters reached base. Catcher Kevin Coddington, a new addition from Illinois-Chicago, singled and scored on Jesse Ayala's single. Ephrata product Michael Ratigan singled in the second run and Steve Tinoco produced a single for the third run.

The Pirates knocked Paxton out in the second after Zach Kim singled with one out and stole second, then scored on Mike Capbarat's single.

Moses Lake starter Josh Fish, a Wenatchee Valley College player, went five innings to get the win. The Falcons didn't muster much against him until the fifth when they scored twice off a walk, a hit batter, a stolen base and a single.

Relievers Cam Gill and Marcus Tackett were untouchable, however, pitching four shutout innings. Tackett got his first save of the year, pitching a perfect ninth with two strikeouts.

Moses Lake had 11 hits off four Kelowna pitchers. Tinoco was 2 for 5 with an RBI and Coddington was 2 for 4. Capbarat finished 2 of 2 with three walks, a run scored and an RBI.

The Pirates opened the series Tuesday with a 5-4 win, staving off a last-ditch effort from the Falcons. Leading 5-1 in the ninth, Kelowna scored three times and had the tying run on base, but Daniel Wolford got a ground ball to shortstop for the final out and his second save.

The Pirates scored once in the first after Zoey Angulo and Kim singled. Capbarat grounded out to bring in Angulo.

Moses Lake made it 2-0 in the third as Tinoco reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and scored on Ayala's single.

Kelowna got one in the fourth off Reneau, but the Pirates went up 4-1 in the sixth after Levi Cheshire walked and scored on an error, and Kim stroked a double to plate Angulo.

Moses Lake's final run came in the ninth after the Pirates loaded the bases with one out and Ratigan raced home on a wild pitch.

Reneau earned the win, pitching 7 1/3 innings. He allowed one run on three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.

Tonight's game with Corvallis begins at 7:30 p.m. Ratigan (0-0, 1.50) will start for Moses Lake.