The Yakima Valley baseball team sits in a second-place tie in the NWAC East after splitting four games with Blue Mountain last week.

Wednesday's home doubleheader started on a sour note with an 8-1 defeat as YVC collected just five base hits and committed five fielding errors. Jackson Walker took the loss, allowing, five hits, three walks and two earned runs over five innings. Tyler Bono and Roanan Cason pitched the final four frames, combining for five strikeouts and five hits allowed. Matty Morin delivered the lone run with an RBI single in the second.

The Yaks had to dig deep in game two to pull out a 3-2 win in 11 innings. After surrendering a 2-1 lead to the Timberwolves in the top of the 11^th, Morin roped an RBI triple to score Kasey Newton before Jackson Upton scored Morin with an RBI single to close out the win. Newton finished 3-for-4, Talan Thai was 2-for-4 and Gage Reeser added a sacrifice fly. Starter Luke Dowdy went six innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out three. Jacob Figarelle was even more impressive in five innings of relief, giving up two hits and one unearned run to earn the victory.

The teams resumed their series in Pendleton, Ore., on Saturday, with YVC taking the first game by a score of 8-2. Walker had an RBI single and Jaden Estrada hit a three-run homer in the first inning as the Yaks jumped out to a 4-0 advantage. Morin brought home a run on a fielder's choice in the third and Estrada tallied an RBI sacrifice fly to give YVC a 6-0 lead.

Estrada finished 3-for-4 with four RBI, Walker went 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored, and Reeser went 2-for-3 with three runs. Austin Dillon earned the victory, striking out eight and allowing two runs and seven hits over six innings. Marcus Olson was equally strong in his three innings of work, striking out six and giving up no hits or runs.

The series finale on Saturday afternoon ended in disappointment as the Yaks failed to take advantage of five fielding errors in an 8-3 defeat. Easton Herdman and Thai each delivered RBIs, while Morin and Trayson Kostial each had doubles as YVC matched the Timberwolves with nine hits. Diego Carrillo suffered the loss, allowing five earned runs and six hits with four strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings. Barrett Froehler pitched two innings of scoreless relief, striking out two.

The Yaks (8-4 NWAC East, 17-15 overall) will play two at league-leading Columbia Basin on Wednesday before hosting the Hawks for two on Saturday.