After dropping seven of its past 10 games, the Yakima Valley baseball team needed to regain some momentum against Treasure Valley last week if it wanted to maintain its hold on the fourth and final playoff spot from the NWAC East. And that's exactly what the Yaks did, sweeping all four games from the last-place Chukars to build a four-game cushion heading into the final four conference matchups against league-leading Spokane.

In last Wednesday's series opener on the road, the YVC offense racked up 16 hits on the way to a 13-2 victory. The Yaks held a 7-2 lead heading before erupting for six more runs in the eighth to close it out. Kasey Newton went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, while Jackson Upton, Garren Gooler and Jay O'Neill each delivered two hits and two RBI. Trayson Kostial finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Jaden Estrada went 2-for-3. Starting pitcher Jackson Walker earned the win, allowing one earned run and five hits, and striking out six.

Game two was a little closer as the Yaks held off a late rally for a 5-3 victory. Gage Reeser went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Matty Morin was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Estrada and O'Neill each drove in a run as YVC took advantage of three fielding errors to score two runs in the first, one in the third, one in the fifth and one in the ninth. Starter Roanan Cason allowed two earned runs and three hits over 2 1/3 innings, Austin Murphy pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Gus Musial threw the final five frames, giving up one earned run and three hits.

The Yaks returned home Saturday and claimed the final two games of the series by scores of 5-2 and 7-4. In the opener, Reeser had a pair of RBI singles in the third and sixth innings, Walker had an RBI single in the fifth and Newton added an RBI double in the sixth. Reeser finished 3-for-5, Gooler went 3-for-4, and Kostial and Newton each went 2-for-4 as the Yaks put up 14 hits. Starter Austin Dillon went the distance, striking out nine and allowing two earned runs and nine hits.

In the nightcap, the Yaks came back from a 3-1 hole with one run in the fourth, one in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh. Upton belted a solo home run in the fourth, Walker notched a pair of RBI singles, and Travis Finney and Morin both delivered an RBI double. Finney finished 3-for-5, while four players — Newton, Reeser, Walker and Upton — had a pair of basehits. Reliever Oliver Wilday picked up the win, allowing one earned run and four hits over 1 2/3. Marcus Olson pitched the first three frames, allowing two hits and two earned runs; Cason gave up one run and four hits over three innings to go with four strikeouts; and Walker secured the save with a perfect ninth inning.

Now 14-10 in conference play (23-21 overall), the Yaks will look to keep their winning streak going with four games against first-place Spokane this week. To lock up the league's final playoff spot, they need to win at least one game against the Sasquatch. YVC could also qualify for the NWAC Championships if Wenatchee and Big Bend — tied for fifth place at 10-14 — lose at least once over the final week.