Lady Vikings split at Crossover
SELAH — Progress.
Definitely this is the best word that can be used to describe the job Big Bend Lady Vikings’ second-year coach Jeremy Iverson has done in 2010.
Big Bend split four games at this past weekend’s Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) Crossover Tournament in Selah to bump their record to 6-24 and surpass last year’s win total of four with many games left to play.
“The kids did well and we had a real fun weekend,” Iverson said. “I hope that this momentum carries in to the second half of the season. The kids keep battling and keep working hard, which is always great to see.”
They started off their showing with a tough 13-2, six inning loss to Southwest Oregon Community College (21-3) on Saturday.
Big Bend was taken out of contention by a seven-run sixth inning by SWOCC and were undone by seven errors.
Big Bend scored in the fourth inning on a passed ball, bringing Amanda Martin to home after she had doubled two batters earlier.
They scored again in the sixth inning when Lesa Hearst singled and was brought home on a Kalli Heller double.
Later that day Big Bend got in the win column with a 6-2 win over Edmonds Community College.
The Lady Vikings got on the board in their half of the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead when Martin, Heller, and Brooke Vincent walked to load the bases for Angelica Castaneda who singled in the first two batters.
They scored two more in the fourth when Crystal Mertes walked, Hearst singled, and Martin doubled to knock in the first two base runners.
Two more runs came across in the sixth inning as Big Bend got to Edmonds (0-18) pitcher Keeley Taylor.
Ali Hirschi singled, Hearst reached base on an error and Martin hit another two-run double, giving her four RBI on the day.
Erika Hanson pitched a complete game for the victory, allowing only one hit while striking out eight.
On Sunday, the Lady Vikings started their day with an 11-1, five inning loss to Bellevue Community College.
Bellevue CC (16-9) scored all their runs in the first three innings and recorded 16 hits.
Big Bend was held to three hits, two of which came in their half of the third inning when Martin singled and eventually scored on a Vincent single for the team’s only run.
They wrapped up the tournament with a 7-4 victory against South Puget Sound Community College (5-17), 7-4.
A three-run first inning got Big Bend going, when Martin, Heller, and Vincent started the inning with singles.
Vincent’s hit brought home Martin.
Castaneda then walked and Hanson singled two batters later bringing in Heller and Vincent for a 3-1 lead.
In the second Vincent brought home Martin with a double and the score was 4-1.
SPSCC cut the deficit to 4-3 in the next frame but the Lady Vikings bumped their cushion back up to two in the bottom of the third when Hanson singled and eventually came home on a fielding error.
The score was 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Big Bend got their final two runs when Rachel Eng walked and was brought home on a Heller double. Heller would then come across home plate three pitches later on two wild throws by SPSCC’s Jessica Stretch.
Hanson then got out of the seventh to record her second win over the weekend.
Big Bend travels next to Pasco to play Columbia Basin College on Friday.