BBCC Battles Skagit Valley, Secures Series Split

After a clean sweep against Grays Harbor Community College, Big Bend Community College hosted Skagit Valley Community College for a four-game set on March 15th and 16th.

BBCC opened the series with sophomore Dylan Schaefer on the mound. Schaefer threw well through four innings but ran into trouble in the fifth, finishing with a stat line of 4 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out four. Cole McKinnon took over in relief, but sloppy defense plagued the Vikings, as they committed three errors, making it an uphill battle for the offense. Ricardo Leon Guerrero, Rory Swanson, and JT Penrod each collected two hits, but the defensive miscues proved costly as BBCC dropped game one by a score of 9-6.

Game two saw freshman Owen Relkoff on the mound, and he delivered an outstanding performance, throwing six innings and surrendering just two earned runs before Garrison Garton took over. BBCC found themselves trailing 5-1 entering the ninth inning. After a few baserunners reached, Davis Chakos launched a three-run home run, cutting the deficit to one. Camron Fleck then reached base and eventually scored, tying the game at 5-5 after nine innings. BBCC held Skagit Valley scoreless in the top of the 10th before Chakos walked it off in the bottom half, collecting his fourth RBI in just two innings to secure a thrilling 6-5 victory.

On Sunday, Brendan McKinley took the mound and put together another stellar showing, tossing seven innings of one-run baseball while striking out three. Jesse Brown finished off the game with two scoreless innings. Despite strong pitching, the BBCC offense had multiple opportunities but failed to capitalize, resulting in a tough 1-0 loss.

Hoping to salvage a series split, BBCC started Talan Wright in game four, but he struggled early, and the Vikings quickly found themselves in an 8-0 hole after the top of the first inning. BBCC responded with four runs in the bottom of the first, three in the third, and three more in the fifth to knot the game at 10-10. Jacob Kanaly came in and tossed three shutout innings, allowing no hits or walks while striking out five, providing the turning point for the Vikings. BBCC took a 12-10 lead heading into the eighth inning. Skagit Valley managed to push across one run in the top of the eighth, cutting the lead to 12-11 before Nolan Soderstrom came in to close the door. Soderstrom collected his fifth save of the season, tossing 1 1/3 innings while striking out three. Ricardo Leon Guerrero led the offense with four hits, while Joseph Valenzuela and Roman Basurto each chipped in with two hits and combined for five RBIs in an exceptional comeback performance.

BBCC now prepares for their final series of the preseason as they travel to Longview, Washington, to take on Lower Columbia College in a four-game set.