Pitching and Timely Hitting Leads to Viking Victory

After a sluggish start to the 2024 season for Vikings Baseball, BBCC hoped to collect their first win of the young season as they traveled down to Pasco, WA to face off versus the Blue Mountain Community College Timberwolves on Sunday March 3rd for a double header. 

Sophomore Hayden Schooler got the nod for game one of the weekend, but was not as sharp as he had been in the season opener. Schooler battled through 4 1/3 innings giving up three runs, with two being earned while striking out eight with the only blemish of his outing being his command. After walking 4 and some shaking defense behind him, the Vikes allowed the Timberwolves to hang around. Similarly to Schooler, Nemechek who the ball was handed to at the conclusion of starter Hayden Schooler's outing struggled mightily with his command walking 4 in just one inning of work surrendering 5 runs and handing the lead back to Blue Mountain. Although, the offense showed signs of life collecting 7 hits over the course of the game, the lack of command and the 5 defensive errors proved costly as the Vikes dropped game one by a score of 9-5.

Desperately needing someone to step up, BBCC handed the ball to freshman Garin Gurtler for the weekend finale and he did not disappoint. Gurtler tossed 6 innings allowing just 1 earned run on three hits while striking out 9. With the Viking pitching cruising, the offense seemed to find their stride led by freshman Ryley Doig who went 2-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored including a solo homerun in the third inning. A 3-2 ball game entering the sixth inning proved to be a pivotal point in the ball game as the Vikes were able to scratch three more runs across stretching their lead to 4 before handing it off to the back end of the bullpen. Nolan Soderstrom relieved Gurtler tossing a scoreless 7th and 8th inning recording 3 strikeouts before handing it off to closer Bryce Laforest who retired three of four batters that he faced to collect the Vikes first win of the season. Head Coach Chase Tunstall had this to say regarding the two game set.

"Offensively we got off to a much improved start in game one this past Sunday. We were able to score 3 runs within the first three innings, unfortunately physical and mental errors on the base paths, along with defensive mishaps held us back from breaking the game open. After the positive offensive output in the first 3 innings we struggled executing on the offensive side of the ball. Mixed in with the shortage of offense, we struggled to find the strike zone in the middle innings along with defensive miscues that led to a plethora of earned and unearned runs. Falling short in these areas make it very difficult to win in this league.

After a conversation and a reset after game one, we were able to come out with a different mindset. A dominant outing from freshman starting pitcher Garin Gurtler along with an early solo blast by Freshman Ryley Doig fueled the Vikes for a game two victory. Even though we were able to eliminate the goose egg in the win column this weekend, which is always a good feeling, we still have plenty to work on. With that being said, game 2 was a step in the right direction. We look forward to a focused week of practice."

The Vikes prepare for their home opener as they host Centralia Community College this upcoming weekend for a four game set with two on Saturday and two on Sunday at 11:00 and 2:00. 

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