Big Bend gets in a Luckey hit to sweep Columbia Basin

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend got lucky.

Actually, it’s spelled Luckey and freshman pinch-hitter Trevor Luckey completely changed the complexion of Wednesday’s NWAC East doubleheader at Viking Field with one swing of the bat.

The freshman from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, went to the plate looking for a pitch to hit and Hawks reliever Ryder Robinson obliged, serving up a hanging slider the big right-hander promptly drove over the left field fence to tie the game.

The Vikings (16-8, 4-2 NWAC East) responded with three more runs the following inning to win the opener 6-3 over Columbia Basin (16-9, 3-3 NWAC East). Big Bend, coming off a two-game loss to Yakima Valley over the weekend, then scored seven runs on 11 hits to complete the sweep with a 7-4 victory in the late game.

“I just wanted a quality at-bat and when he hung it, I was so happy he left one for me,” Luckey said. “We started out slow, but when I hit the home run, I thought it kind of kick-started the team.

“Mostly I’ve been pinch-hitting, so what I try to do is put a quality swing on a quality pitch and fight off whatever else. I was able to contribute today.”

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Jayke Chavez stroked a two-run double and the Vikings scored three to ride the momentum to victory.

But it was that Luckey swing that carried the day.

“All of us were wondering what we were going to have to do to get back up on top,” said left fielder Daulton Kvenvold, who had a 3-RBI triple in the second game.

“He comes up and belts a big one. Trevor really gave us a lift with that one swing. (Columbia Basin) came in ahead of in the standings. So this is huge, because it lets us know that we can play with anybody.” Nothing makes a first-year skipper feel better than calling for the pinch-hitter and the guy goes yard to tie the game. “(The home run) completely changed the momentum. What’s impressive is that he’s a reserve for us. He goes in mentally prepared to put a quality swing on the baseball,” head coach Jameson Lange said. “It completely changed the momentum. We’ve been preaching to them all year long that we’re going to fight to the end and we’re going to fight longer and harder than anybody else. We’ve had four or five games this year where we’ve won in the final three innings.”

The Vikings produced six runs on six hits in the opener. Luckey (2), Chavez, who was also a pinch-hitter (2), and Derek Almanza had the RBIs.

In the second game, Big Bend rode the momentum with a big, three-run third inning and led start-to-finish.

Kvenvold (.303) was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple and three RBIs. Luckey (.308) continued with the hot bat, getting the start at second base, going 3-for-4 with a double and a triple.

The Vikings travel to Spokane on Saturday for a key doubleheader with the East-leading Sasquatch (18-6, 5-1) to start a six-game road trip.