Glowicki hits walk-off, Big Bend Sweeps Wenatchee Valley

MOSES LAKE - Sam Glowicki's Big Bend Community College teammates waited patiently for him to finish up with his interview before luring him a few steps away from the dugout, before hammering him with what was left in the water jug.

It was hard to say if the 6-foot-7 freshman from Vancouver had waited all his life for the celebration, but he had waited a long time to deliver a game-winning hit in his first season of college baseball.

Glowicki drove a waste-high fastball back up the middle for the walk-off single in Saturday's 6-4 victory over Wenatchee Valley College to help the Vikings (21-7, 10-6 NWAC) keep pace in the Northwest Athletic Conference East with a much needed sweep.

"I've always envisioned myself delivering a walk-off in a college game and this was a dream come true," Glowicki said. "I felt really comfortable up there. I for my pitch and I drove it. To be able to come back (from two runs down) in the ninth inning like that was pretty special."

The Vikings had trouble finishing what they started in the first half of the season. It looked like that trend might continue to haunt them in the first doubleheader of the second half. After steamrolling the Knights 8-0 in the opener, they fell behind 5-1. But a couple of things came together in the second game.

Sophomore cater Tyler Barber had a defensive day to remember and the Vikings finally got off the snide with timely hits. Barber reached on an error to lead off the bottom half of the ninth and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Shane Layman delivered a two-out single to tie the game and Glowicki, who also doubled in the second inning, drove in the game winner.

"The past three or four days, we've split games. To come back like that really boosts out confidence," Glowicki said. "From here on out it's very important to win two games and not split."

Big Bend swept Wenatchee Valley the first time around and the Knights (3-25, 1-15 NWAC) had aspirations of a little payback, taking a 5-1 lead in the fourth, including a solo shot by Nolan Wirth in the second.

But the Viking defense made the difference with big plays at the plate. Big Bend starter Sam Krapf didn't have the outing he prepared for, but the right-hander from Twin Falls, Idaho did hustle to the plate after a wild pitch to take the throw from Barber to tag out Ethan Hunt in the second Inning. Vikes first baseman Josh Kallstrom hustled into foul territory near the Wenatchee dugout for the fly out, them whirled and threw out Tanner Schwartz at the plate to end the fourth.

Big Bend came back with yet another putout at the plate in the fifth when Glowicki let his arm do the talking on a fly ball to right field. The 6-7 freshman put a one-hopper into Barber who had come up the first base line to field the ball. The sophomore catcher gathered the throw, them made a no-look athletic dive back to the plate in time to tag Erik Sauve, who had tagged on the play.

"When we practice, I always stand in the same spot (on the throws coming from the outfield) so we have a feel of where we're at," Barber explained. "That ball took me a little bit to the right so I knew right where I was at. I turned and dove back and got his hand."

Barber made one more put out that really factored in at the end of the day. Trailing runners down the first base to backup the play is one of those things a catcher can take for granted or get lackadaisical on. But the Vikings still had a chance in the eighth, trailing 5-4. Big Bend third baseman Cody Reilly saved a double down the line, but his throw across the infield skipped past Kallstrom at first base. Barber chased down the loose ball and threw out Nolan Wirth as he tried to take second on the play.

"Tyler's backup on the throw is an extra effort we call the two percent edge," Big Bend assistant coach Jameson Lange dais. "We have to do things two percent better than everyone else. We're constantly trying to put in the extra effort. It's almost like a different season in the second half and we can't settle for splits. We have to have the mindset to go out and take two." Big Bend (21-7, 10-6 NWAC) sits in a tie with Columbia Basin (23-9, 10-6 NWAC) for second place in the East Region. Both are chasing Yakima Valley (22-10, 12-2 NWAC).

College softball

Big Bend softball drops three of four games

YAKIMA - Big Bend softball lost three out of four games over the weekend. Big Bend was swept by Wentachee Valley 9-1 and 2-1. On Saturday, Big Bend split with Yakima Valley. The Vikings won the opener 5-2 before losing 11-3.

Shayla Baker pitched 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win form the circle. Morgan Goslin's RBI double broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning.

Big Bend (6-14, 7-19) hosts North Idaho on April 30.