Chiefs split with Lions

KENNEWICK, Wash. — The Moses Lake Chiefs traveled into the Lions’ den Tuesday and returned with a doubleheader split with Kennewick.

Moses Lake took the first game in extra innings when the Chiefs rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth to knock off Kennewick 7-3.

Pitcher Brock Lybbert was dominate in seven innings of work, holding the Lions to just three runs.

The Chiefs got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second when Moses Lake scored three runs  for a 3-0 advantage, Moses Lake head coach Ed McNamara said.

With the score tied 3-3 heading into extra innings, the Moses Lake offense rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth, taking a 7-3 lead over the Lions. Tanner Lowry got the Chiefs rolling in the the eighth with a solo home run to give the Chiefs a 4-3 advantage. Moses Lake went on to add three more runs in the inning.

After the Chiefs took the lead late in game one, McNamara brought in reliever Dylan Signorelli to close the door on Kennewick to record the save. Lybbert earned the victory.

Kyle Hickman helped lead Moses Lake in the first game with a home run and 2 RBIs and Cameron Alvarado went 2-for-3.

After Moses Lake took the first game from Kennewick, the Lions recovered for an 11-8 win in game two to split the doubleheader.

Moses Lake and Kennewick played to a 3-3 tie after two innings and Chiefs starting pitcher Blaine Myers worked a scoreless third inning for Moses Lake.

Kennewick eventually took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth and the Lions added five in the fifth and two in the sixth to take an 11-3 lead over the Chiefs.

Moses Lake trailed by eight in the seventh before the Chiefs loaded the bases for Signorelli.

Signorelli managed to get a hold of a pitch from Kennewick’s Blake Eastman for a grand slam home run. Signorelli’s shot helped the Chiefs pull within 11-7 of Kennewick.

Moses Lake had their opportunities in the seventh inning, but the Chiefs only manage to score five runs, McNamara said.

“We had a couple of guys on in the seventh but we couldn’t finish it off,” he said. “It would have been neat to get that second game, but (we) played hard.”

Although the Chiefs split the doubleheader with Kennewick, McNamara said his team played solid baseball considering the poor weather.

“(We) played pretty good for the conditions,” he said. “The field conditions were horrendous. It was raining, it was just a horrible day.”

Moses Lake improved to 7-3 in the Columbia Basin Big Nine’s Columbia Division with the split.

The Chiefs wrap up their conference schedule Tuesday when they host the Sunnyside Grizzlies in a doubleheader at Larson playfield.