Viking struggle in baseball against NWAACC leaders, fall to 12-14

MOSES LAKE - A golden opportunity to make a push toward a Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) playoff spot went by the wayside Wednesday for the Big Bend Vikings baseball team.

Playing host to the NWAACC East's first place team, Yakima Valley Community College at Viking Field, Big Bend dropped both games of a doubleheader 4-0 and 11-5 to fall to 12-14 overall and 3-7 in league play, four games out of a coveted top-four spot.

The Vikings are tied for fifth with the College of Spokane.

"Our next three opponents are on the top of the standings so we need to play our best baseball to stay in the playoff hunt," Big Bend head coach Don Lindgren said.

In the first game, the Vikings batters were kept in check by pitcher Jake Fife who threw a three-hitter.

YVCC (15-4, 9-1) scored three runs in the third inning and one in the next frame before going into cruise control to hold their hosts at bay.

Despite taking the loss, big Bend pitcher Danny Greenway threw a solid game, going six innings.

"Danny pitched a great game for us and gave up four unearned runs," Lindgren said. "Unfortunately, Jake Fife had our hitters' number. We could not get anything going offensively and two critical errors led to their four runs."

Bryan Karwacki, Bryce Todd, and Randy Button each had a hit for Big Bend.

Game two saw the Big Bend offense get a little more spunky but Yakima Valley CC's also got going and got the better end of the 11-5 result.

Both teams committed five errors, but the Vikings did have seven hits.

The game was tied 2-2 going into the top of the fifth before the visitors scored seven runs to break the game open.

YVCC led 10-2 before Big Bend scored three in their half of the sixth inning but the Vikings couldn't break through after that.

"We played better and Jakob Daniels threw the ball well for us and the one bad inning," Lindgren said. "That we have to learn to stay away from hurt us."

Yakima put up seven runs after a balk call on Daniels extended the inning and led to the outburst, according to Lindgren.

Brandon Vannoy had the only multiple-hit game for Big Bend, hitting a double and a single.