Veteran Elks help clinch Opening Weekend series win over Walla Walla

Second year Elk Jackson Elder was amongst the many Bend veterans who showed out Saturday. (Sage Young)

Bend, OR - The Bend Elks earned an electrifying Opening Weekend series win over the Walla Walla Sweets with a down-to-the-wire 4-3 win Saturday night at Vince Genna Stadium.

Trailing by a pair of runs after the seventh-inning stretch, Bend (2-0, 2-0) rallied for three runs in the home half of the frame to claim a lead they would not relinquish.

Although Walla Walla (0-2, 0-2) threatened with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, third-year Elk Reid Madariaga came through in the clutch with the final out to help Bend lock up its first series win of the summer.

Madariaga (1-0) was amongst the many Elk returners who shined Saturday. Madariaga's predecessor, 2023 Elk Jackson Elder, faced the minimum through the first four innings and gave up just one earned run with two strikeouts in his 2024 season debut. At the plate, fellow 2023 Elk Ryan Christiansen delivered the difference, making an RBI double to cap off the rally that gave the Elks their second straight come-from-behind one-run victory.

Bend looks to continue its strong start to the summer and complete its first sweep of Walla Walla since 2018 on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at Vince Genna Stadium.

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