Host Niles split a pair of SMAC non-divisional baseball games with Gull Lake Tuesday.

The Vikings were held to one hit by the Blue Devils’ Austyn Knapper in a 4-0 loss.

Niles bounced back to win the nightcap 8-7.

Knapper had the Vikings off balance the entire game. He struck out eight and walked just two in going the distance.

Jake Huffman worked six strong innings, but gave up four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Dustin Anders pitched the seventh.

In the nightcap, Niles used a four-run fourth inning to erase a 5-3 Gull Lake lead.

The Vikings loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Jake Huffman, Drew Huffman and a hit-by-pitch to Jordan Ham.

Chris Frantz singled to cut the lead to 5-4 and Alex Hardy drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 5-5.

Cody Glick delivered a two-run single to make it 7-5.

Niles would score what turned out to be the winning run in the fifth inning on a single by Frantz.

The Vikings finished with 10 hits against three Blue Devil pitchers led by Bryce Lake, Frantz and Glick, all of whom had two hits. Frantz and Glick both drove in two runs, while Jordan Ham doubled.

Frantz pitched up the victory in relief.

 

GULL LAKE 4-7, NILES 0-8

At Niles

First Game

Gull Lake        003     010     0 – 4 7 0

Niles                000     000     0 – 0 1 0

Austyn Knapper (W); Jake Huffman (L), Dustin Anders (7)

 

Second Game

Gull Lake        104     002     0 – 7 7 3

Niles                021     410     x – 8 10 1

Drew Blakely, Derek Bishop (3, L), Nathan Wargolet (4); Bryce Lake, Drew Huffman (4), Chris Frantz (4, W)

2B: Jordan Ham (N)

Varsity record: Niles 20-10