By Staff
Excellent pitching, superb defensive plays and clutch hitting were displayed Wednesday night in a great game between the 130-year-old travel teams from Niles and St. Joseph.
The game was suspended after seven innings with the score tied at 5-5 and will be continued at a later date as part of a doubleheader between the two teams.
Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh against St. Joseph ace Dayton Devoir, Niles scratched out a run with two outs as Kyle Prak scampered home on a throwing error. That brought up Jamie Simpson who earlier in the fourth inning hit a long homer to left center. In near darkness Simpson hit a monsterous home run on a 1-1 count to tie the game.
D.J. Wolnick and Jake "Goose" Ferguson pitched a strong game for the Vikings.
Earlier in the week Niles defeated Lakeshore No. 2 24-0 in a non-league game.
David Ralston with four hits, Taylor Robson and Keith Prak with three hits apiece paced the 21-hit Niles attack. Prak, Simpson and Nick Fedore all homered for the Vikings.
Jeff Jurgonski and Prak combined to limit Lakeshore to one hit.
Niles is now 14-5 for the year and 7-3 in league play.