By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Visiting Niles defeated the host Bobcats and Schoolcraft to capture the Brandywine Round Robin Tournament on Saturday.
The Vikings, ranked No. 2 in the latest Division 2 poll, rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the sixth inning to knock off the Bobcats 7-4 in the first game and then defeated Schoolcraft x-x to win the title.
The Bobcats rebounded with a 6-4 win over Schoolcraft in the final game of the day.
Niles…7
Brandywine…4
A six-run sixth inning lifted the Vikings over the Bobcats on Saturday.
Brandywine built up a 4-1 lead with a run in the first and three runs in the third inning.
Niles first run came in the top half of the third inning.
The sixth inning started off with an error and a walk for the Vikings. Following a strikeout, Zach Bloss was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Mikie Simpson singled to drive in two runs to cut the lead to 4-3. An error on a pick-off attempt at first base allowed Bloss to score the tying run.
Dan Holland followed with an infield single. One out later, Andrew Brawley singled to drive in two more runs. Brawley would eventually come around to score Niles' sixth run of the inning.
Leading 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third, Brandywine extended its lead to 4-1 when Will Coar singled eventually wound up on third on a wild pitch and scored on an error by Niles.
Jesse McCombs singled in the second run of the inning to make it 3-1 and the final run of the frame came as the result of an obstruction play at third base.
Jake Ferguson went the distance to pick up the win for the Vikings. Kyle King took the loss for the Bobcats in relief of starter Dan Reidenbach.
Niles finished with nine hits, led by Simpson's two doubles.
Brandywine had seven hits in the contest.
Schoolcraft…2
Niles…2
Niles captured the championship with a 6-2 victory over Schoolcraft in the second game of the tournament,
Nick Hartman picked up the win for Niles with relief help from Billy Siderits.
The Vikings finished with seven hits, including doubles by Holland, Brawley, Kevin Gross and Alec Taylor. Brawley was 3-for-4 in the contest.
"Hartman threw a very good six innings," Niles coach Mike Vota said. "We played a pretty clean defensive game.
"Overall, we must improve our hiting with runners in scoring position. We stranded too many runners through the tournament. I am happy with the team's effort. We must keep improving through the month of May and be the best by the end of the year," he added.
Schoolcraft…4
Brandywine…6
The Bobcats scored all six runs in their final four at-bats against Schoolcraft in the tournament finale.
The Eagles tallied all four of their runs in the fifth inning to a brief 4-3 lead on Brandywine.
The Bobcats scored twice in the bottom of the fifth to reclaim the lead, 5-4.
Brad Ritchey picked up the victory for the Bobcats in relief of starter Jake Harris.
Dominique Pompey doubled for one of Brandywine's nine hits.
Brandywine Round Robin
Tournament
First Game
Niles 001 006 0 – 7 9 1
Brandywine 103 000 0 – 4 7 4
WP – Jake Ferguson (N) and Dan Holland
LP – Kyle King (B), Dan Reidenbach (starter) and Cam Ondresky
2B: Mike Simpson (N) 2
Second Game
Niles 200 301 0 – 6 7 1
Schoolcraft 001 100 0 – 2 5 3
WP – Nick Hartman (N), Billy Siderits (7) and Dan Holland
LP – Rice (S) and Marnell
2B: Holland (N), Andrew Brawley (N), Kevin Gross (N), Alec Taylor (N)
Third Game
Schoolcraft 000 040 0 – 4 3 1
Brandywine 002 121 x – 6 9 0
WP – Brad Ritchey (B), Jake Harris (starter) and Cam Ondresky
LP – Jim Scott (S) and Jay Marmell
2B: Dom Pompey (B)
Record
Brandywine 15-2