By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Host Penn rebounded from a 6-5 loss to Niles on Saturday to wrap up play at its own invitational Monday.
The Kingsmen defeated the Vikings 18-6.
Penn scored six runs in the third and fourth innings to break open a close contest.
Penn (23-4) led 4-2 after one inning of play and 6-5 after two innings.
The Kingsmen scored six runs in the third to increase their lead to 12-6. Six more runs in the fourth completed the scoring.
Lyle Watson took the loss as he worked two innings, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits. Chris Hammond worked the final three innings.
Niles finished with five hits, led by Jesse Sallak who was 2-for-2.
Niles (19-7) returns to action today when it hosts Benton Harbor in a Big 16 Conference West Division doubleheader scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
Correction
In Monday's Niles Daily Star it was incorrectly reported that the Vikings were defeated by Penn. Here is the corrected information. We regret the error.
The Vikings varsity baseball team split a pair of games on Saturday at the Penn Tournament.
The Vikes fell to Jimtown in the first game 5-4, but rallied to defeat Penn in the second game, 6-5.
Matt Richardson picked up the victory in the second game for the Vikings and is still undefeated at the mound with a 6-0 record.
Niles (22-4) led 1-0 after an inning of play, however, Penn tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the second.
The Vikings then grabbed a 4-1 lead with a three-run third inning. Niles increased its lead to 5-1 with a run in the top of the fifth, but Penn cut the lead to 5-3 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Niles scored a run in the top of the seventh to increase its advantage to three runs.
Penn scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, but could not overtake the Vikings.
Rick Storm went 3-for-3 to lead Niles offensively. Sallak was 3-for-4, while Aaron Ralston doubled for the Vikings. Watson and Josh Henry both had two hits.