BRIDGMAN — Visiting Niles split a pair of non-league games against Bridgman Saturday.

The Vikings handed the Bees their first loss of the season with a 7-5 win in the opening game.

Bridgman rebounded to edge the Vikings 6-5 in the second game.

In the first game, Niles and Bridgeman exchanged the lead four times, but the Vikings ended up on top with a 7-5.

Niles Vikings finally managed to grab the lead in the sixth inning.

The Vikings went up for good on a two-run single by Mitchell Dehn off Brandon Starkey, scoring Hunter Holzapfel and Matt Miller.

Bridgeman scored two runs in the sixth. Despite its efforts, the Bees were unable to finish the comeback.

Chris Mangus got on base three times in the game for the Niles. He also drove in one runner. He singled in the first inning and doubled in the third inning.

Matt Schiele got the win in relief for the Vikings. Schiele pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed four runs.

The top of the first saw the Niles Vikings Varsity take an early lead, 1-0. Mangus singled, scoring Tate Rudlaff after a double by Rudlaff got things started.

Bridgeman scored one run of its own in the second.

Bridgeman brought home two runs in the fifth inning and matched that run total in the sixth.

In the second game, Taylor Weldy did all he could to give Niles a boost, but it wasn’t enough to get past Bridgeman.

Weldy reached base two times. He scored two runs and had one RBI. He tripled in the seventh inning.

One run in the top of the third helped the Vikings close their deficit to 3-1.

One run in the top of the fifth cut the Bees’ lead to 5-2.

After pushing across two runs in the top of the sixth, the Vikings faced just a 5-4 deficit. A sacrifice fly by Connor Glick and an RBI single by Landon Kulwicki set off the Niles rally.

The Vikings again cut the lead to a single run, 6-5, on an RBI single by Brawley. Unfortunately Matt Hendricks was able to shut the door for Bridgman and preserve the victory.

 

First game

Niles 110 005 0 – 7 9 1

Bridgman 010 022 0 – 5 8 0

Jake Brentlinger, Matt Schiele (W, 5), Tate Brawley (S, 5); Brandon Starkey (L)

2B: Chris Mangus (N), Tate Rudlaff (N), Connor Glick (N)

 

Second game

Niles 001 012 1 – 5 8 1

Bridgman 210 201 x – 6 8 0

Tyler Clutter (L), Gage Nichols (5), Hunter Holzapfel (6); Kyle Rotondo (W), Matt Hendricks (S)
2B: Landon Kulwicki (N), Rotondo (B)

3B: Taylor Weldy (N)

HR: Brock Belanger (B)