Elks Rally in the Ninth Powers Extra Inning Walk-Off Win

Justin Tsukada delivered a pinch-hit single to give the Elks the extra-inning walk-off win over Yakima Valley. (Andrew Green)

Bend, OR. - For the third time in less than a week, the Bend Elks won on a walk-off, and this one might have outdone the rest.

After trailing 6-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Elks managed to pull off a remarkable four-run rally to force extra innings. Both sides went scoreless in the tenth, and then Justin Tsukada put the game to bed with a pinch-hit line drive up the middle to give Bend a 7-6 win and send Elk fans celebrating into the night.

Bend took an early 2-0 lead on a two-RBI single by Ethan Thomas in the third inning but went quiet over the next six innings. Meanwhile, the Pippins brought across six unanswered runs with one run in the sixth, two in the seventh, and three in the eighth.

Opposite of what one would expect, the bottom of the lineup is what powered the comeback for Yakima Valley, with the eight and 9-hole hitters Cam Colyer and Owen Egan combing for five of the Pippins' 10 hits and three of its six runs.

It was a full team effort for the Elks, who had ten different players record a hit. Ruben Cedillo led the charge with his second four-hit game of the season, complemented by two runs scored and an RBI. Luca Dipaolo also had a multi-hit game highlighted by a clutch one-run double that sparked the ninth-inning rally.

Bend pitching had a solid start and finish to the game but struggled in between. Simon Lemke and Ethan Krupp each allowed three runs in relief, with Lemke giving up six hits and Krupp allowing three walks.

Luke Alwood had an excellent finish to his summer, going five scoreless innings of three-hit ball with four strikeouts and just one walk in his final start in Bend. But Mahiro Tomita (2-1) was the hero on the bump slamming the door on the Pippins, retiring 10 of the 11 batters he faced with three K's.

Bend (14-16, 11-15) and Yakima Valley (12-19, 11-18) will square off in the rubber match Thursday in the final game of the Elks's first-half schedule. First Pitch from Vince Genna Stadium is at 6:35 p.m.