By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - The Brandywine varsity baseball team was able to pick up a pair Lakeland Conference win against visiting Bridgman Monday afternoon.
The Bobcats defeated the Bees in two games, 4-3 and 4-2.
Josh Atwood got things started for Brandywine in the bottom of the first when he pounded a ball out of the park to send in JD Miller and himself to score and give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.
Brandywine was again able to score another run in the bottom of the second. Bridgman brought in two runs in the top of the fourth to put them on the board. Another run in the top of the sixth tied the game at three.
The Bobcats had one chance in the bottom of the seventh to get a winning run in and were able to pull it off. Matt Wieger stole third and scored on an over throw with two outs to give Brandywine the 4-3 win.
Kory Bridges was the winning pitcher for Brandywine, racking up 13 strike outs.
Bridges and Weiger both had two hits each and Jake Harris added a double.
In the second game, Brandywine took an early 1-0 lead scoring in the bottom of the first, but Bridgman added a run to tie it.
Another run by Bridgman in the top of the fifth put the Bees up 2-1.
In the bottom of the sixth, Atwood and Bridges hit back-to-back home runs to put Brandywine up 3-2. The Bobcats held Bridgman in the top of the seventh and took the 4-2 second game win.
Harris was the winning pitcher by tossing two scoreless innings. Bridges took over pitching in the fourth for Zach Bennett and picked up another five strike outs to give him a total of 18 on the night.
Brandywine, now 3-5, 2-0 in conference, will host Constantine on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Eddies sweep Rangers
CASSOPOLIS - Visiting Edwardsburg scored in all but one inning of its Lakeland Conference opener at Cassopolis Monday afternoon.
The Eddies earned a 10-1 in the opening game and then slipped past the Rangers 7-4 in the second game which lasted just five innings due to darkness.
The Eddies (4-1) scored one in the first, second and seventh innings, twice in the third and fifth innings and three times in the sixth to account for their runs in the first game.
Cassopolis' lone run came in the fourth inning.
Zac Rooney improved to 2-0 on the year as he tossed a five-hitter with 11 strike outs. Rooney, who also doubled for the Eddies, did not walk a batter.
Jason Rietveld took the loss for the Rangers. Rietveld worked five innings, allowing six runs on seven hits with 11 strike outs and a walk. Four of the runs were earned.
Jesse Johnson doubled for the Eddies, who finished with 10 hits. Ashton Danzy had a triple for the Rangers, who finished with five hits.
In the second game Edwardsburg grabbed a 1-0 lead, however, the Rangers scored four times in the third inning to take the advantage.
Edwardsburg exploded for seven runs in the fourth an another in the fifth to complete the scoring.
Jeff Mortimore worked four innings to earn the victory for the Eddies. Mortimore allowed four runs on four hits with six strike outs and four walks.
Andre Broussard took the loss for the Rangers as he allowed eight runs on seven hits with two strike outs and two walks. Seven of the runs were earned.
Johnson had three hits and two RBIs for the Eddies, who finished with seven hits. Ben Horton added a double.
Spencer Hardisty had a double and two RBIs for the Rangers, who finished with four hits.
Edwardsburg returns to action today at Vicksburg, while the Rangers head back to the diamond on Thursday at Constantine.