Everything was looking good for the Yakima Valley baseball team through the first 5 ½ innings of Friday's opening round game of the NWAC Championships against Bellevue.

Jackson Walker blasted a two-run home run in the first and Garren Gooler added a two-run shot in the fifth to give the Yaks a 4-3 advantage against the North's No. 3 seed. But the Bulldogs plated five runs in the bottom of the sixth and four more in the seventh to hand YVC a 12-8 season-ending defeat at Lane Community College. Gage Reeser connected for a grand slam in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to four, but it wasn't enough to push the No. 4 seed from the East through to the Super Regional round. 

Starting pitcher Tannon Marsalis gave up eight hits and eight earned runs to go with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Reliever Boston Snyder allowed six hits and four earned runs in one inning of work, and Austin Dillon pitched a scoreless eighth. Reeser and Gooler each finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Atticus Rogers went 2-for-3, and Cody Densley and Will Feltus each added base hits, but the offense was outhit 14-8 by the Bulldogs.

The Yaks finished their season at 30-21 overall and landed four players on the All-NWAC first team: Gooler, Walker, Marsalis and Snyder. Reeser was named to the second team, along with Feltus and Jace Fillmore, while catcher Easton Anderson won a Gold Glove. Marsalis earned Freshman of the Year honors, going 7-2 with 95 strikeouts and a 1.40 ERA. Snyder went 5-2 with 91 strikeouts and a 2.54 ERA, while Walker won the East's Big Stick award after hitting six home runs and driving home 52. Gooler batted .332 on the season and recorded four homers and 48 RBI.