MOSES LAKE - They may have just missed out on a Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) playoff spot, but the Big Bend Vikings baseball team's season can still only be recognized as successful.

The Vikings split their final two games on Saturday against Treasure Valley Community College to cement a .500 overall season (22-22) and a fifth-place spot in the NWAACC East (13-15), five games out of a playoff spot.

Big Bend won the opener against TVCC, 8-2 behind another strong pitching performance by Randy Button and four two-run innings at Viking Field.

Button threw 7.1 innings and struck out five.

"Our ace Randy threw spectacular again." Big Bend head coach Don Lindgren said. "He had a great season for us."

Big Bend scored two runs in the first, second, fourth, and fifth innings and survived four errors and 11 TVCC hits to win the opener.

Ricco Moreno (Moses Lake High School) had three hits, including a home run to lead the Vikings' attack, while seven other players got at least one base hit.

"Ricco led our team in hitting this year as a freshman and has been clutch all year for us," Lindgren said. "Our offense was attacking at the plate and on the basepaths in game one."

In between the games, the Big Bend program presented spectators with a show of appreciation for the team's sophomores and their parents.

"It was a great group of young men that have really changed our program back around to being successful," Lindgren said.

In the second game Lindgren chose to allow his sophomores to fill out the roster and TVCC took advantage of the lack of practiced chemistry in a 15-0 win.

"That didn't work out real well for the win but it was nice to get everyone in the game," Lindgren said. "All the players have worked hard for two years and deserved to get into their final game."

The Vikings made a 10-game improvement in the win column after finishing 12-32 in 2010, including a last place spot in the East Division standings.