No. 2 Yakima Valley takes two from No. 8 Big Bend

MOSES LAKE — Anyway you look at it, the numbers just didn’t add up in Big Bend’s favor in Saturday’s NWAC East doubleheader with Yakima Valley.

The No. 8 Runnin’ Vikings (21-13, 9-7) had a chance to make up a little ground in the East Region, but dropped both games at home for the first time in April. Big Bend gave up 18 hits in the opener, dropping a 13-2 decision that ended in eight innings. The Vikes picked it up with 15 hits in the late game, but stranded 13 runners in a 11-4 loss.

It would have taken their very best effort to upend the East-leading Yaks (32-6, 14-2 East), who rolled into town ranked second in the NWAC Coaches Poll and seventh in the Junior College Pacific Associations Division Baseball Poll.

But Yakima Valley has won nine of its last 10 games and played like it Saturday afternoon at the Big Bend Baseball Complex.

“To be honest with you, we didn’t bring our A-game today,” said shortstop Kyle Tolf, who was 3-for-5 in the second game. “They hit the heck out of the ball in the first game and we left too many runners in the second.

“We’ve been playing really good at home, but that’s a good baseball team.”

The Vikings, who moved up into No. 8 in the NWAC Coaches Poll, have a twin bill at Walla Walla on Wednesday and host Spokane to wrap up the April schedule. They are currently third in the East Region, but have another chance to move up against Spokane, which comes in at second.

“We just got to push forward,” first-year Viking skipper Jameson Lange said. “These games are done. It is what it is.

“We’re in a situation right now where we control our own destiny. We’re just going to take care of business in the next 12 games and get to the tournament where anything can happen.”

The NWAC Tournament format gives the four regional winners an automatic berth. The second seed hosts the winner of seeds three and four in what could be called a Super Regional.

Yakima Valley 11, Big Bend 4

The Vikes went down swinging in the bottom of the ninth. Cody Banks (.354) finished up his 3-for-5 day with a double. Nate English (.362) made it back-to-back doubles on Yaks reliever Logan Chase, driving in a run.

Trevor Luckey, who’s part of that Coeur d’Alene connection with English and Jackson Sumner, had an RBI single. But the damage had been done. The Vikes stranded 20 runners in the two games and the Yaks combined for 33 hits.

“We’ll bounce back from this. We fully believe we’re as good as anybody in the NWAC,” Tolf said. “Our region is loaded with three ranked teams. We just have to focus on getting to the tournament and we’ll be OK.”

Yakima Valley 13, Big Bend 2

The Yaks blew the game open with nine combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings to shut the game down early.

Luckey (.364) was the only multi-hit guy for the Vikes, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.