By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don't.
The Niles varsity baseball team learned that lesson Saturday as it split a doubleheader with Portage Central, which is ranked No. 10 in Division I.
The Vikings committed just one error in beating the Mustangs 4-2 in the opener, but then made six mistakes in a 7-4 loss to end the day.
In the first game it was the Vikings (5-1) who made the plays and Portage Central committed three errors.
Kyle Kidwell opened the day's scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. The Vikings then added three runs in the third inning as Kidwell and John Kessick each singled and the Mustangs committed two errors.
Portage Central managed to put one run on the board in the sixth inning and one more in the seventh.
Kessick earned the win to improve his record to 3-0. He gave up four hits in six innings before Cory Coquillard came on in relief.
Portage opened the second game with two runs in the top of the first inning and added three more in the top of the fourth. The Mustangs stretched their lead to 7-0 in the top of the fifth before Coquillard stopped the bleeding with a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.
Niles added one run in the sixth but could not manage any more offense.
Matt Richardson took the loss to move to 1-1 on the season. Kidwell relieved Richardson in the fifth inning and worked the last three innings.
The Vikings host Lakeshore in a Big 16 Conference West Division doubleheader Tuesday, April 27, at 4 p.m.