LAWTON — The Niles softball team gained a measure of revenge in the championship game of the Lawton Invitational Saturday.

The Vikings had lost their season opener to Paw Paw 5-4 at the Dowagiac Invitational back in April.

But on Saturday, Niles turned the tables on the Redskins and posted a 5-1 victory to claim the championship.

In reaching the finals, the Vikings defeated host Lawton 12-0 and five innings and blanked Three Rivers 3-0 in the opening game of the day.

Tala Gentry won all three games for Niles.

She also had a triple against Paw Paw and a home run against Lawton.

Niles also got a home run from Olivia Jordan against the Redskins and a pair of doubles by Kylee Myer. Tegan Bays and Megan McKeel both doubled against the Blue Devils.

“I thought we played great team ball today,” Niles coach Ryan Frontczak said. “Our goal this year was to win every tournament we entered this year and we have almost done that as we have won the past three we have been in. The only one we didn’t was the Dowagiac tourney early on. We kind of got our revenge on that one when we played the team that took us out of the championship game in Paw Paw.”

 

Lawton Invitational

Championship game

Niles                410     000     0 – 5

Paw Paw        000     000     1 – 1

Tala Gentry (W)

3B: (N) Gentry

HR: (N) Olivia Jordan

 

Semifinals

Niles                072     12 – 12

Lawton           000     00 – 0

Tala Gentry (W)

2B: (N) Tegan Bays, Megan McKeel, Kylee Myer 2

HR: (N) Gentry

 

First game

Three River    000     000     0 – 0

Niles                110     100     x – 3

Tala Gentry (W)

Varsity record: Niles 23-6