By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
DOWAGIAC - It wasn't necessarily pretty, but it was a sweep.
The Dowagiac varsity baseball team opened its season on Monday with a non-conference sweep of visiting Decatur at Rotary Park.
The Chieftains (2-0) took the opening game 6-3 and then rallied from a 6-2 deficit in the second game to win 13-9.
Dowagiac scored four times in the third inning to erase a 2-0 deficit against the Raiders (0-4) in the first game.
Decatur led 1-0 after an inning of play and 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third.
The Raiders cut the lead to 4-3 in the fourth inning, before Dowagiac scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to secure the win.
Jordan Huey earned the victory as he worked four innings. Huey allowed three runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Freshman Jamie Simpson earned a save as he worked three innings, allowing two hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Caleb Bryant took the loss for Decatur.
Only one of the runs were earned.
Jesse Cox went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while David Stuppy added a single and an RBI. Rob Duszynski and JoAngel Goins each had singles.
Nate Berlson had a double for the Raiders.
In the second game the Raiders led 2-0 and then 6-2 before Dowagiac rallied.
The Chieftains cut the lead to 6-4 with a pair of runs in the third and then took the lead with a six-run fourth inning.
Dowagiac added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth inning after Decatur had cut the lead to 10-9.
Cox picked up the mound victory as he worked four innings, allowing eight runs on 12 hits with four strike outs. Six of the runs were earned. Cox did not walk a single Raider.
Brother Jake Cox, a freshman, got the save as he worked the final three innings. Cox did not give up a hit, while striking out four. He did not walk a batter. Jakob Smith took the loss for the Raiders.
Simpson had a double, a single and an RBI for the Chieftains, who also got two hits from Jesse Cox and singles from Stuppy, Matt Dodson and Jake Cox.
Decatur got a home run from Dan Benson.