Scoring four runs in the top of the eighth inning Thursday night, the Bend Elks broke open a tie game before going on to top the Cowlitz Black Bears 10-6 at Vince Genna Stadium.

The win, Bend’s seventh in 10 games, moves the Elks into a tie for first place in the West Coast League South Division standings with the Corvallis Knights, who lost to the Kelowna Falcons 2-1 in 10 innings Thursday. Both teams are 28-17 in league play.

Curtis Wildung led the way for Bend in the eighth, smacking a two-run double to make the score 9-6. Zach Close scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch just before Wildung’s double. For the game, Landon Cray went 2-for-4 with a solo home run for the Elks and Kyle Giusti was 1-for-4 with a solo homer.

Eric Melbostad picked up the victory in relief, striking out three and walking one in one inning of work. Elks starter Martin Brown allowed five runs — just three were earned — over the game’s first four innings.

Bend is on the road for its next six games. The Elks start a three-game series with Bellingham today at 7:05 p.m. and are in Corvallis on Monday. Bend concludes the regular season at home with a three-game set against Walla Walla starting on Friday, Aug. 9.

— Bulletin staff report