MOSES LAKE - It may be a tough go for the Big Bend Vikings baseball team to squeeze out a Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) playoff spot in these final days of the season, but there is no harm in trying.

The Vikings kick started a hoped for late surge toward the fourth and final spot out of the East Division with an pivotal 7-0 and 6-4 sweep of a Saturday home doubleheader against Blue Mountain CC.

Big Bend (17-19, 8-12) stand four games out of the fourth spot in the division with eight games left to play.

They trail Walla Walla (22-12, 12-8) who stands in the final playoff berth out of the East and play three of their next four doubleheaders against teams ranked above them in the standings.

"Hopefully we can continue to play well for the last two weeks and make a run at the playoffs." Big Bend head coach Don Lindgren said.

On Saturday, the Vikings jump started their twin bill against Blue Mountain (7-27, 1-19) with a strong pitching performance by Randy Button.

Button pitched a complete game, three-hitter, behind a commanding 10 strikeouts to help the Vikings cruise to the win, as they belted out 13 hits.

"That first game was one of the best games I have ever seen at any level," Lindgren. "Randy had his fastball at 90 mph and his slider and changeup were phenomenal. He kept Blue Mountain guessing the whole game. It was a great game to watch Randy pitch as he was in total control the entire time."

Brandon Vannoy and Brett Gray led the offense for the Vikings with four and three hits respectively as Big Bend scored three runs in both their half of the third and eighth innings.

The key moment came in the game two rally for the Vikings, where a loss against a team they would have expected to have beaten would have caused serious damages to their late season goals.

Tied at 4-4 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Vikings found a way to keep their hopes very much alive.

Tyler Morris hit his second double of the game and was eventually brought home on  a Jose Nossa single. Big Bend got an insurance run in the inning and then closed the deal behind the pitching of Chris Sattler who earned the save.

Casey Clare held Big Mountain in check for three innings in middle relief to earn the win as Big Bend pitchers scattered 12 hits.

The Vikings had 11 hits of their own. Moses Lake High School graduate Ricco Moreno had two hits along with Morris, Bryce Todd and Bryan Karwacki.

Tomorrow, the Big Bend team head east to play at the College of Spokane (16-20, 6-14) needing at least a split to stay within striking range of Walla Walla who plays at Wenatchee Valley (7-20, 6-14).

Game time for the Vikings' first pitch of the doubleheader is 1 p.m.

Saturday the Vikings return home for two games against the East's leaders, Columbia Basin College (26-10, 16-4), starting at 1 p.m.