MOSES LAKE - The Chiefs were looking to earn at least a split with Wenatchee Friday at home to share the Big 9 league title or possibly sweep the Panthers to be crowned champion.

But neither scenario came into play as Moses Lake dropped both games to finish second with an 11-4 record.

"They were tough losses. The boys were amped up to play and it hurts, but we've got to put it in perspective and look ahead," coach Quintz Whitaker said. "I look forward to this week of preparation.  We're still in a position to fight for a district title, regardless of the outcome, you still have to win to advance from this point on."

Game 1

The first game of the doubleheader was all it was expected to be ... a close hard fought contest between the top two teams in the league. Unfortunately, the Chiefs came up on the short end of the scoreboard, 2-0. But Moses Lake made the Panthers earn both runs they got.

"Hector pitched well for us again.  He has been rock solid all season long," Whitaker said. "We just couldn't get the batsgoing.  We hit a few balls hard and that's just baseball ... some days they find the gaps, some days they don't." 

Wenatchee's runs were few and far between as the Panthers scored one in the top of the second and sixth innings.

Zavala went the distance, giving up just two hits while fanning nine Wenatchee batters in the loss.

Game 2

Moses Lake was looking for a bounce back game in the nightcap to earn the split with the Panthers. But the Chiefs couldn't get anything going as the team bats fell silent and the usually stout defense broke down with five fielding errors.

Neither team scored in the first inning of play. The Panthers brought two runs home in the top of the second and five in the top of the third to race out to a 7-0 lead.

Wenatchee added four in the fifth to push the score to 11-0.

Moses Lake failed to put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth and the game was called as the 10-run mercy rule came into play.

"We fell behind and just couldn't stop the bleeding," Whitaker said. "Our defense compounded things by trying to make something out of nothing.  We need to understand when to cut our losses and live to fight another day.  We are better defensively than we showed today."

Chase Tunstall got the start on the hill for Moses Lake and was tagged with the loss.

The Chiefs are back on the diamond Saturday to open district play against Eastmont at Rec Park in Wenatchee at 1 p.m.

The winner will advance to the district title game Saturday evening.

The time is yet to be determined.