Vikings wrap up non-league slate

MOSES LAKE — Big Bend baseball concluded its non-league schedule with doubleheaders against Pierce Community College and Tacoma Community College last weekend, going 1-3 in the four-game stretch.

Pierce scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the first inning in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader, eventually holding on for a 4-3 win over the Vikings. The first two runs came off of bases-loaded walks, with the remaining two coming off a two-RBI single by Pierce’s Ayden Vega. The Vikings got runs back in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Tyson Laugen and JT Penrod scoring off an error, as well as an RBI single by Heath Hachkowski in the top of the fifth, but couldn’t overcome the early deficit and fell 4-3 to Pierce CC.

Big Bend split the day by winning the second game 7-4, courtesy of a four-run top of the sixth and a three-run top of the eighth against Pierce CC. Big Bend’s Rory Swanson and Gunner Graves led the Vikings with two hits each, while Roman Basurto, Ryley Doig, Ben Schnurman, Kyler Nilson, Blaine Macdonald and Swanson all drove in runs in the win.

In the first game against Tacoma CC on Saturday, the Titans poured on the runs in the bottom of the first, fifth and sixth innings, eventually run-ruling the Vikings in a 16-6 loss for Big Bend. Tacoma CC recorded 12 hits and drove in 14 runs in their win.

The nightcap against the Titans was a much closer game, but still fell in favor of Tacoma CC who earned a 5-1 win. Big Bend led 1-0 after the top of the fourth inning, where Doig scored on an error to give the Vikings their first lead of the day. A four-run bottom of the fifth inning for the Titans, as well as another run scored on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth, was too much for the Vikings to overcome in their 5-1 loss.

With the preseason in the rearview mirror, Big Bend sets its sights on a doubleheader against Columbia Basin College on Wednesday for a doubleheader. The first pitch is at 1 p.m. in Moses Lake.