The Yakima Valley softball team kept its playoff hopes alive Saturday with a doubleheader sweep of Big Bend on the road. After dropping two at first-place Spokane on Friday, the Yaks returned to form on Saturday against the Vikings, winning game one 9-0 before coming from behind to claim the nightcap by a score of 7-6.

Pitcher Kassidy Van Soest was dominant in the opener, striking out six and allowing five hits and zero walks to earn a complete-game victory. She also hit a solo home run in the fourth and delivered an RBI single in the first, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Riley Eckhardt got the Yaks on the board in the first inning with a three-run homer of her own, while Madalyn Telles went 4-for-4 with an RBI double. Arissa LeBaron went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Cheyenne Justice also went 2-for-4 as YVC outhit Big Bend, 12-5.

Official stats for game two were not available on nwacsports.com, but the Yaks managed to overcome a 5-3 deficit through four innings of play to earn the W. In the three-run second inning, Rillee Huber notched an RBI single, Kathryn Prest delivered a sac fly, and Abbygale Sheridan scored on a throwing error. Prest struck out four and allowed eight hits and five earned runs over three innings, but final stats were not yet available.

The Yaks (6-10 NWAC East, 15-23 overall) struggled to keep up with first-place Spokane last Wednesday, falling 9-3 and 10-2 on the road. In game one, the Sasquatch took a 7-0 lead through four innings before YVC posted three in the fifth. Telles had an RBI single to score Justice and then scored on a passed ball before LeBaron stole home. Telles finished 2-for-3 and Justice was 3-for-4 as the Yaks were outhit 13-7. Van Soest took the loss in the circle, allowing 13 hits, seven earned runs and three walks over six innings of work.

The Yaks took an early 2-0 advantage in game two on an RBI single by Abbygale Sheridan and a wild pitch that scored Baylie Hindle. But that was all the offense YVC could muster in support of Prest, who allowed eight hits, five walks and nine earned runs over four innings.

Now ranked 15th in the NWAC's latest RPI rankings, the Yaks will try to improve their standing with a pair of home doubleheaders this weekend against Treasure Valley on Friday and Blue Mountain on Saturday.  The the top 12 RPI finishers will qualify for the championship tournament.