By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - The Niles varsity softball team could have picked up a doubleheader win on Saturday against visiting Watervliet, but had to settle with a 4-8, 6-3 split to the Panthers for a non-conference game.
Watervliet held on to a 2-0 lead for in the early innings of the first game, but the Lady Vikes were able to pull in three runs in the bottom of the fifth to put them up 3-2.
Six runs from the Panthers in the top of the seventh gave them a five ran lead heading into the final inning.
One run was all Niles could bring in and suffered the 8-4 first game loss.
Sarah Sheffer was the winning pitcher against Julie Kater, who is now 3-5.
Top hitters for the Vikings wasKate Whittaker going 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Kayla Gross, Cricket Fisher and Lindsay Carey all went 1-for-2, Nicole Ignowski and Shelley Aurand 1-for-4 and Steohanie Schrader went 1-for-4.
Niles picked up the pace in the second game and pulled off the 6-3 win.
Kylee Mudd, 1-3, was the winning pitcher with Kater the save.
Top hitters in game two were Schrader going 2-for-3 with one RBI, Gross going 2-for-4 with one RBI, Ignowski going 2-for-three with a double and Kater going 1-for-3 with a double.
Niles, now 4-8 overall, will host South Bend Washington at home tonight. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.