Yada, offense, dictates Chiefs win

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Chiefs baseball team’s reign over Kennewick was halted temporarily because of…

Well, rain.

After a mandatory 30-minute lightning delay turned into an hour-plus both teams were ready to take the diamond on Tuesday for the second game of their doubleheader before the skies opened up and suspended game two with the Chiefs lead 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning.

The two teams will hook up again at Larson Field today at 4 p.m. to wrap up the contest.

But the suspension of play didn’t come early enough for Kennewick, which dropped the opener 6-1 to the resurgent Chiefs squad.

Moses Lake’s (6-11, 5-4) hitters took it to the Big 9 Cascade League leaders with three runs in both the second and fifth innings and Mitch Yada closed the door from the mound.

“They’ve done a 180 degree turnaround,” Moses Lake coach Ed McNamara said. “Up to this point we haven’t been making the plays by booting the ball or throwing it away. They have the talent and have been working hard and are starting to get the confidence and are beginning to make the plays.”

Moses Lake secured their win with a second consecutive error-free game.

In the second inning Moses Lake got on the board after Kennewick took an early 1-0 lead. Cameron Alvarado tripled, Branden Moreno then followed with an RBI single.

Nick Dodds doubled in Moreno and two outs later Matt Garza’s triple knocked in Dodds.

The clinching fifth inning saw Ricco Moreno hit a one-out single and Dylan Signorelli walk before Tanner Lowry’s brought them both in with a double on a hit-and-run.

One out later, Branden Moreno’s single brought home Lowry and Moses Lake led 6-1.

In between the offensive blitzes, Yada kept Kennewick on its toes and found a way to get out of a couple of jams as he struck out four while allowing seven hits.

“He was getting the big out that’s for sure,” McNamara said. “It was a huge game for us to win and he pitched and kept those guys off balance. They are a good hitting team with some big guys.”

The second game saw a little of the same as the Chiefs started rolling at the plate and were getting a solid pitching performance from Signorelli.

“We got the momentum going, hitting the ball well, and Dylan was pitching well, so I was bummed we had to stop that game,” McNamara said. “I Hope we can come back (today) and keep it going. If we get game two we have a chance to even be higher than fourth.”

So one more win clinches a playoff spot while a loss would mean the Chiefs would have to sweep Sunnyside on Tuesday to at least secure a fourth-place tiebreaker unless Davis were to lose at Pasco next week.

“I feel really good,” “The guys have done a great job and I am really happy with the way we’re playing and the timing of when we’re playing well here at the end of the season.”

Warden 3-9, River View 10-1

WARDEN — An inconsistent showing at home led to an unwanted split with River View yesterday for the host Warden Cougars.

Despite jumping out with three first inning runs and knocking out 14 hits in game one, the Cougars dropped a 10-3 decision in the opener of the teams’ doubleheader.

In the nightcap, Warden finally found a way to bring home the baserunners they had stranded in the first game as they blitzed River View 9-1.

In the second game Arty Reyes continued his dominant season on the mound by allowing only one hit, an infield single.

He also helped his own cause by belting a home run.

Jon Burkholder and Cruz Pruneda both helped the Cougars’ offense in the second game with 2-for-3 performances at the plate.

“We still haven’t played our best baseball yet,” Warden coach Dan Caballero said. “In the first game we got a lot of hits but couldn’t get anything going scoring-wise.”

Warden moves to 11-7 on the season overall while remaining at .500 in South Central Athletic Conference (SCAC) East play with a 6-6 mark.

The top four teams from the East qualify for the district playoffs which begin in two weeks.