NILES — First-year Brandywine softball coach Jason Antus saw his team run into a red-hot Dowagiac squad on Thursday.

The result was a sweep by the Chieftains, who are now riding a 10-game winning streak after sweeping Paw Paw Friday.

Dowagiac won 9-5 and 13-8.

Brandywine pitchers Delani Nelson and Haley Scott did their best to cool off Dowagiac’s bats, which are collecting extra base hits by the basketful.

Even a four-run first inning could not help the Bobcats snap the Dowagiac streak.

But Antus knows there are going to be days like this for his team as it learns about him as a coach and he learns about them as players.

“We just needed to keep the momentum going,” Antus said. “This is a great group of girls, who have come a long way since the beginning of the season. They are all trying really hard.”

Antus took over a program that was in the midst of turmoil in that former coach Jim Myers resigned during preseason practice.

Antus was hired just prior to the start of the regular season, so he and his staff have been playing catchup the entire month of April and early May.

But that has not kept the Bobcats from being successful this spring.

Brandywine was over the .500 mark entering Thursday’s non-conference doubleheader with the Chieftains.

But five straight losses have put the Bobcats on the other side of that line as the regular season schedule dwindles down.

“I think they have handled it really well,” Antus said of the late coaching change. “I think we have handled it really well. We are all learning together.”

There were some bright spots against Dowagiac on Thursday as the Bobcats had 14 hits in the opener and nine more in the nightcap.

Delani Nelson, who took the loss in the first game, had a pair of doubles. Kennedy Byrd and Haley Scott, the second game losing pitcher, also doubled in the nightcap.

Brandywine went 0-3 at the South Bend Clay Tournament on Saturday.

Mishawaka edged the Bobcats 9-8, while New Prairie blanked them 10-0.

Brandywine ended the day with a 7-3 loss to South Bend Riley.

Byrd had a home run for the Bobcats in the Riley game.

Brandywine hosts arch rival Buchanan in BCS action at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday.