Vikings drop NWAC East doubleheader to Walla Walla
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldJustin DeHoog of Ephrata takes a rip at a ball during the first game of Thursday's doubleheader with Walla Walla Community College. Walla Walla swept Big Bend in the NWAC East action.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldTyson Yamane of Warden got the start in the first game of Thursday's NWAC doubleheader with Walla Walla. The Warriors swept Big Bend Comunity College.
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake’s Nate Ball stroked his second home run of the season and Big Bend scored two runs in the eighth, but came up a run short of earning the split with a 9-8 loss to Walla Walla in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader.
The Warriors (20-12, 12-6 NWAC East) literally doubled the Vikings’ hitting output with 24 total hits to just 12 by Big Bend (19-13, 10-8).
The Warriors had 12 hits in a 10-1 decision in the opener and 12 more in the late game to complete the Northwest Athletic Conference East sweep.
Walla Walla, which is ranked second in the conference, is currently on a three-game winning streak, winning six of its last 10 games. The Vikings have also won six of their last 10 games, but are currently on a three-game skid and Thursday’s twin bill didn’t help much.
Walla Walla 9, Big Bend 8
Ball (.339), who caught both games, had three hits on the day. The sophomore from Moses Lake went 2-for-4, including the homer, scored three times and finished with 2-RBI in the second game for the Vikings, who scored eight runs on seven hits. Walla Walls scored 10 runs on 12 hits.
Daniel Fornito, a freshman from Melbourne, Victoria, had a two-RBI double. Auggie Francis (5) and Seth Reisbeck (1) both tripled.
Walla Walla 10, Big Bend 1 The game could have resembled a football score had there not been a combined 25 runners left on base. Walla Walla, which stranded 13 runners, finally broke open a scoreless game with five runs in the fifth inning. The Warriors scored two more in the seventh.
The Vikings struggled at the plate with just five hits. Reisbeck drove in a run with a single and Josh Kallstrom from Ephrata, Cody Banks, Ball and Fornito had a hit apiece.
Warden right-hander Tyson Yamane started the opener and pitched into the fourth inning, scattering five hits, while striking out four and walking three.
Big Bend is at Spokane for a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.