Chiefs baseball drops twin bill

MOSES LAKE - Two 1-run losses to Mead at Larson Field Saturday ended the Chiefs six game win streak.

Moses Lake got off to a slow start in both contests, but came back to make a game of each. Had it not been for the 8 fielding errors, the Chiefs may have been able to pull out two victories and remain undefeated.

"I think these were the first games all season that we were not mentally prepared enough to play," coach Quintz Whitaker said. "We had some solid pitching and some clutch hitting by Jordon Hooper, but made too many mistakes and didn't capitalize on some opportunities. I'm sure the guys will learn from this."

Mead 3

Moses Lake 2

Game one of the doubleheader was a pitching duel early on as neither team scored a run in the first three and a half innings of play.

The Chiefs struck first when Jordon Hooper singled to center to drive in Drew Loera from third for the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth to go up 1-0. A single by Elliot Sage in the bottom of the fifth brought Colton Kelly in from second to make it 2-0 Moses Lake.

The Chiefs looked to be in control of the contest, but a 3-run sixth gave the Panthers their first lead, 3-2. Moses Lake failed to score in its last two at bats and dropped the game by a run.

Kelly had the big stick for the Chiefs going 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Hunter Boyd pitched four solid innings of no-hit ball and did not give up a run. Jacob Price came on in relief and was tagged with the loss for Moses Lake.

Mead 6

Moses Lake 5

The Panthers jumped up top 3-0 in the top of the first inning in game two of the twin bill.

The Chiefs got a run back in the bottom of the second when Price drove in Gunner Raymond from second to close the gap to 3-1.

Two runs in the top of the third stretched the Panther lead to 5-1. Moses Lake answered back with 2 runs in its half of the frame to make it 5-3 Mead.

The Panthers added a run in the top of the fourth to push the score to 6-3. A double by Hooper to center in the bottom of the fifth scored Raymond and Price to pull the Chiefs within a run, 6-5, and gave Moses Lake momentum and an opportunity to possibly pull out a split on the afternoon.

But neither team was able score over the last two innings and the Chiefs dropped the second game to the Panthers as well.

Raymond had the hot bat for Moses Lake with 2 hits in 3 at bats and 2 runs scored.

Hector Zavala went 3 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs of 7 hits and was hit with the loss for the Chiefs. Chase Tunstall pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief.

The nonleague losses to the Panthers drop Moses Lake to 6-2 overall.

"We just couldn't get over the hump and failed to capitalize on some opportunities in game one," coach Quintz Whitaker said. "They scored right out of the gate in game two ... got their lead off guys on base and the middle of their order hurt us because we couldn't pitch to them they way we wanted to. We had a lot of miscues in this game too and that didn't help much either."

Moses Lake is out of action over spring break. The Chiefs are back on the diamond April 9 in Sunnyside for a single game against the Grizzlies.