MOSCOW - The two teams that took the field amidst the snow and swirling winds of the Palouse on Thursday each seemed determined to bust the myth about hitting becoming more difficult in cold weather.

Clarkston won the battle of the bats 18-14 in nine innings.

In a game that featured 38 hits and 32 runs, it would seem easy to criticize the quality of pitching. But it was the pitchers who were the victims in this contest. They were the quarry of the baseball phenomenon known as ''Frozen defense.''

The infield and outfield for both squads seemed to be composed of nothing more than holes and gaps, as stiff muscles and the instinct not to put a frozen limb or digit in the path of a speeding object hindered fast-twitch muscle reaction in the extreme.

Clarkston starter Nick Rimmelspacher and Moscow pitcher Jake Helbling handled the weather and the prolonged time on the mound admirably, continuing to throw strikes and keep their composure even as each allowed 12 earned runs in 41/3 and three innings respectively.

"You know there are going to be some errors in a game like this," Moscow coach Brent Belschner said. "We expected that. I thought our pitchers did a good job, Clarkston is just a great hitting team."

The Bantams and Bears traded blows early, combining for 19 runs in 21/2 innings. Brock Pederson hit a two-run double in the Moscow second as part of a five run outburst. But Clarkston answered with eight runs in the top of the third, featuring two-run hits by Brady Mock, Nick Cundy, and Mickey Smith.

Clarkston added another run with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to push its lead to 13-7. But Pederson again spurred the Bears lineup into action by sending a line drive over the left-field fence for an impressive solo homer. The Bears followed his lead with five more runs on six hits, highlighted by Kyle Laven's RBI double that knotted the score at 13 apiece.

"It seemed like everyone kind of settled down to play baseball after the first five innings or so," Clarkston coach Bruce Bensching said. "We just asked our guys to throw strikes, and they did that."

The game remained tied until Clarkston's Randy Fuller scored on a passed ball with two outs in the eighth inning. Kyle Morgan, who was pitching for Moscow when the Bantams scored in the eighth, found redemption with a hard-hit double that landed at the base of the left-field wall and scored Pederson to send the game yet further into extra innings.

But Clarkston took the lead back quickly in the ninth on an RBI single by Taylor Marshall, which appeared to take the wind out of the Bears' sails. The Bantams scored four runs in the ninth and Marshall pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to close out the long, cold contest.

The affair was originally scheduled as a doubleheader, but it was decided by the coaches that due to the risk of injury and the length of the first game that the second game would be canceled.

"We had some bright moments today," Belschner said. "We did a good job of coming from behind a few times, and we hit the ball pretty well overall."

Pederson was the big bopper for the Bears, collecting four hits and four RBI. Drew Papineau had three RBI for Moscow.

Clarkston had seven players with two RBI, including Brady Arnone, Andy Tank, Fuller, and Marshall.

Clarkston 408 100 014-18 20 2

Moscow 250 060 010-14 18 1

Nick Rimmelspacher, Taylor Marshall (5) and Mickey Smith. Jake Helbling, Dan Ery (4), Kyle Morgan (8), Kirk Iverson (9), Karsten Shaw (9) and Drew Papineau.

Clarkston hits - Rimmelspacher 2, Smith 3 (2 2B), Marshall 2, Ethan Fox, Brady Arnone 4 (2B), Randy Fuller 3 (2B), Andy Tank, Brady Mock 2, Nick Cundy 2.

Moscow hits -Helbling 3, Lane Brooks 2, Papineau 2, Kyle Laven 2 (2B), Justin Parkins, Brock Pederson 4 (2B, HR), Morgan 2 (2B), Iverson, Derek Belschner.