Moses Lake's constant small-ball pressure cracks West Valley of Yakima in 4A CBBN district title game

YAKIMA – Ninth-ranked Moses Lake used a small-ball approach to pull off a big upset Friday evening.

The Chiefs collected nine hits – all but one of them singles, and four of those of the infield variety – to end the 17-game winning streak for No. 2 West Valley and capture the Columbia Basin Big Nine (CBBN) baseball championship at West Valley High School.

Moses Lake’s 6-2 victory avenges three regular-season losses to the Rams and sends the defending Class 4A champions to next Saturday’s regional round of the state tournament.

West Valley (19-2) hosts Wenatchee, which defeated Eastmont on Friday, in a winner-to-state matchup at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"We didn’t put the pressure on them the first three games," Moses Lake coach Donnie Lindgren said. "We had too many strikeouts so we worked on contact and making them make plays.

"If you put pressure on them, good things are going to happen."

Uncharacteristically, the Rams aided the Moses Lake attack by committing three errors. Two of the baserunners who reached on an error eventually scored.

The Chiefs' pitching, led by senior starter Carson Janke, kept in check a Rams offense that had scored 10 or more runs a dozen times this season. Friday’s three runs were a season low for West Valley.

Lindgren credited assistant coach Rick Baldini for the stellar pitching.

"He took over calling the game so they don’t have to think about what they’re pitching, and then our defense just played outstanding," Lindgren said.

The Rams also struck out eight times.

"We didn’t execute, we didn’t hit with runners on … we didn’t play how we’ve played all year long," Rams coach Ryan Johnson said.

Jacob Martinez was the lone Moses Lake player with two hits, and Janke helped his cause by scoring a pair of runs.

Drew Johnson scored twice for West Valley, which hadn’t lost since a league-opening defeat at Wenatchee.

Arizona State commit Brody Mills had three hits for the Rams – including a double – and drove in a pair of runs.

'Luckily we’re in a position where we have another chance," Johnson said. "We’ve got to move on so that’s what we’re going to do."

Moses Lake won the 2019 state championship, but never had a chance to defend the title since the past two spring seasons did not have WIAA playoffs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.