BBCC Sweeps Blue Mountain, Gets Back on Track in Conference Play

Pendleton, OR - The Big Bend Community College Vikings hit the road on Wednesday, April 2, to take on the Blue Mountain Community College Timberwolves, looking to break out of a recent slump. They did just that, securing a dominant doubleheader sweep and improving to 3-3 in conference play.

The Vikings handed the ball to their reliable right-handed sophomore, Garin Gurtler, who delivered yet another stellar performance. Gurtler tossed eight innings of shutout baseball and took the mound in the ninth, aiming for his second complete game of the season. However, after surrendering back-to-back singles to start the ninth, he was lifted for Garrison Garton, who came in to record the final three outs and seal the victory.

Freshman shortstop Camron Fleck led the offensive charge, collecting three extra-base hits, while Blaine Macdonald contributed three hits of his own. Ricardo Leon Guerrero also had a strong showing with two hits, helping BBCC cruise to a 9-2 victory in the opener.

In game two, Cole McKinnon took the hill, hoping to end the Vikings' struggles in second games of doubleheaders. BBCC struck first, jumping out to a 5-0 lead after just two and a half innings. The offense continued to fire on all cylinders, with Kason Bleckert and Ricardo Leon Guerrero each recording two hits in what became a convincing 12-5 victory.

With the sweep, BBCC regained momentum in the NWAC standings. Head coach Chase Tunstall reflected on the win, stating, "We know what we're capable of. We had about a two-week stretch where we played really good teams and weren't playing our best baseball. This game reinforced what we were able to do on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Hopefully, these games reminded our guys of how good they actually are, and we can keep rolling from here."

BBCC will look to carry this momentum into the final two games of the four-game series, as they host the Timberwolves on Saturday, April 5, at home.