YAKIMA – On a night history seemed destined to repeat itself, the West Valley baseball team of the present doused the would-be blast from the past.

Four years and a day after Moses Lake ventured south and handed a second-ranked Rams squad its second loss of the season and claimed the CBBN district championship, the Mavericks looked poised to do it again Friday night.

This time, though, unbeaten and fourth-ranked West Valley awoke, rallying late from a three-run hole for a 5-3 victory, and a district title repeat.

The top-seeded Rams improved to 22-0 and almost assuredly locked up hosting privileges for next Saturday’s regional round of the Class 4A state tournament.

“You just gotta keep playing, keep your composure, keep battling and we did a great job of that,” said second-year West Valley coach Brooks Archer, who is 38-0 against conference opponents.

Stranding nine runners in their first four at-bats, and with reigning conference Pitcher of the Year Rhyse Elder a bit off, the Rams fell behind 3-0 against a Moses Lake squad it had beaten three times in the regular season, just as they had in 2022.

But starting in the fifth, they showed why they’re the only 4A team with an unblemished record.

First, it was offense, with Karter Huwe delivering an RBI double and Alex Whiteside a two-run single with two outs to tie the score in the fifth. Mason Kovatch and Drayden Birley then singled in runs for a 5-3 lead in the sixth.

“Hits pile up in baseball, they don’t come one at a time and that’s a big part of the adrenaline,” said Birley, the Rams’ junior all-conference catcher who ripped the game-winner down the third-base line. “It’s also keeping your cool, and being able to perform in those high-pressure situations.”

Second, it was Elder, who had given up 10 hits in the first five innings, feeding off the offense and pitching a perfect sixth and seventh innings.

“I think that gave him a little more juice,” Archer said.

West Valley returns to the state tournament for the fourth time in five seasons. The Rams, however, haven't gotten past the first round since 2016.

“Last year we got bounced in the first round, so we’re playing for something this year,” Birley said.

The baseball pairings are set to be released Sunday.

The Mavericks (12-9) host Wenatchee at 1 p.m. Saturday for the district’s second state berth. Moses Lake will try to advance to the state tournament for the seventh straight season.

“That’s a great baseball team, you have to play each inning like it’s your last and we didn’t do that,” Moses Lake coach Donnie Lindgren said. “We got to turn the page, we can’t worry about today, and go get whoever we have to play.”

Mavericks center fielder Jonny Purcell had two hits – one of them a double – and chased down anything hit near him.

Maddox Herrud led the Moses Lake attack with three hits and knocked in a run, and Caden Barnes had hits and an RBI.

WENATCHEE 13, EASTMONT 6: At East Wenatchee, Simeon Shanbour homered and hit a two-run double to lead the Panthers’ 10-hit attack.

Raiden Haynes added three hits and two RBI, Owen Ervin doubled in two runs and Griffin Butler had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs for Wenatchee (14-9).

Max Aman had two hits and an RBI, and Tyse Lewallen and Jaxon Eurton had two hits apiece for Eastmont, which finished the season (12-10).