Big Bend third at NWAC tourney

EVERETT — Big Bend bounced back from a letdown in the NWAC Tournament semifinals to claim third place.

The Runnin’ Vikes held off a pesky Highline team in the quarterfinals 73-65 before losing to rival Spokane 77-66 in the semis. Big Bend broke out of its shooting slump for a 99-86 victory over Clark in its final game.

Against Highline, Ryker Pierce scored a team-high 15 points despite fouling out with about eight minutes to play.

The scoring load was picked up by Wyatt Johnson and Mogga Lado who hit for 12 and 13 points, respectively.

After averaging 12 points per game during the regular season, Highline’s Coby Myles kept the game close with 23 points.

Big Bend struggled from the field in the semifinals against Spokane and shot just 36.1 percent. The Runnin’ Vikes swept the Sasquatch during the regular season.

Pierce and Lado each turned in double-doubles. Pierce scored 20 points with 10 rebounds and Lado added 21 points with 11 rebounds.

However, Spokane’s Levi Taylor scored a game-high 31 points.

Big Bend’s high-scoring offense returned against Clark. Lado, Pierce, Jai Jai Ely, AJ Miles and Connor Meyerhoffer all reached double figures. Lado scored a team-high 27 points to go with seven rebounds.

College baseball

Big Bend improves to 6-0

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend completed a three-game sweep of Thompsons River and improved to 6-0.

The Vikings won the first game on Friday 4-3 before sweeping Saturday’s doubleheader by scores of 8-7 and 6-4.

Chase Tunstall earned the win in Game 1, pitching 6 1/3 innings giving up just one run. Ryan Grening drove in two runs for the Vikings.

On Saturday, Big Bend trailed 7-4 after seven innings before scoring two runs each in the eighth and ninth to come from behind and win 8-7. Nathan Ball and Shane Layman had two RBI each.