The West Coast League All-Star break could hardly come soon enough for the Bend Elks.

A 12-3 loss Sunday night at Vince Genna Stadium capped a three-game series sweep at the hands of the Yakima Valley Pippins, sending the Elks staggering into the break with their eighth defeat in nine games since starting the second half of the WCL season with three straight wins.

Brandon Leitgeb’s two-run double put Bend up 2-0 in the first inning. But Yakima Valley countered with four runs in the top of the second, and about the only thing to go the Elks’ way the rest of the night was when the game was called off because of a thunderstorm in the bottom of the eighth.

Kaiser Weiss, Sean Coffey and Tristen Alvarez each had two hits for Bend, whose five errors helped the Pippins score six unearned runs. Alvarez and fellow infielder Collin Runge, along with pitcher Bradley Gonzales, are expected to represent the Elks in the WCL All-Star Game on Tuesday night at Civic Field in Port Angeles, Washington.

The Elks open a six-game road trip Wednesday at Kelowna, British Columbia. Their next home game is July 24 against the Portland Pickles.

—Bulletin staff report