MATTAWAN — Visiting Niles split a Big 16 West Division softball doubleheader with No. 1-ranked Mattawan Tuesday.

The Vikings scored two runs in the third inning in a 2-0 win over the Wildcats.

Megan McKeel and Courtney Ankrap both doubled for the Vikings. Tala Gentry was the winning pitcher.

In the nightcap, Mattawan rebounded to win 4-0. The Wildcats scored all four runs in the fifth inning.

Gentry, who took the loss, had a double for the Vikings.

“I’m impressed with our girls tonight,” Niles coach Ryan Frontczak said. “When you split with the No. 1 team in the state in Division 1, its always a good night. The problem is we know we should have won both. We let the second game slip away.

“We had 10 hits to their three. We just had one bad inning and it was on us not them. I thought we really hit the ball hard tonight, but left too many runners in scoring position.”

 

First game

Niles                000     200     0 – 2

Mattawan       000     000     0 – 0

Tala Gentry (W)

2B: Megan McKeel (N), Courtney Ankrap (N)

 

Second game

Niles                100     000     0 – 1

Mattawan       000     040     x – 4

Tala Gentry (L)

2B: Gentry (N)