Neither Niles coach Ryan Frontczak or Edwardsburg coach Randy Brooks got exactly what they wanted out of a split, but both coaches found plenty of positives following the doubleheader Wednesday.

The Vikings blew a 7-1 lead, but rebounded to edge the Eddies 10-9 in the opening game of their non-league softball twinbill.

In the nightcap, Edwardsburg’s top pitcher Andrea LaPlace returned to the circle and provided a spark in the Eddies’ 14-2 victory.

Niles was cruising along with a six-run lead when Edwardsburg exploded for seven runs in the fifth inning to take an 8-7 lead.

The Eddies sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth inning.

Edwardsburg added a run in the sixth to make it 9-7, but Niles rallied back with three runs on the sixth to take the lead for good.

With two outs, Hannah Porterfield singled and moved to second on a passed ball. Tala Gentry drew a walk in front of Courtney Ankrapp, who reached base to load the bases.

Miranda Bailey followed with a two-run single to cut the Eddies’ lead to 9-8. Ankrapp eventually came around to score what turned out to be the winning run on a wild pitch.

In the top half of the seventh, Niles’ Molly VanDeKeere struck out the first batter, gave up a single, but then got Edwardsburg to fly out to centerfield and then fielded a ground ball back at her which she flipped to first base for the final out.

“I feel like we were satisfied after that first game,” Frontczak said. “We came off a big last-inning win there. The girls just didn’t come out ready to play that second game and there is nothing I could do. They were happy with the one win.”

The Eddies scored nine runs in the second inning of the nightcap and never looked back.

Edwardsburg scored the game’s first 11 runs before Niles score in the bottom of the second. The Eddies added two in the fourth and one in the fifth, while the Vikings scored a run in the fifth.

LaPlace went the distance for Edwardsburg allowing one earned run on four hits with two strikeouts.

The Eddies finished with 12 hits in the contest, including a pair of doubles by Teryn Williams. Kaley Frank, Bre Bauschke and Delaini Disher also doubled for Edwardsburg.

Williams was 3-for-4 with a couple of RBIs.

“We hit the ball well, we got our No. 1 pitcher back throwing a game and she threw pretty well,” Brooks said. “We got what we wanted going into Friday. Friday is our big day. Hopefully we are ready to go. We will shore up the defense a little bit because we were sloppy, especially that first game.”

The Eddies will host Three Rivers in a Wolverine Conference West Division doubleheader. Edwardsburg is currently tied with South Haven for first place in the league.

 

First game

Edwardsburg 010 071 0 – 9 13 2

Niles 031 303 x – 10 11 3

Molly VanDeKeere (W), Brooke Wilson (6); Delany Peters, Becky Sarver (L, 4)

2B: Andrea LaPlace (E), Bailey Thomas

 

Second game

Edwardsburg 290 21 – 14 12 2

Niles 010 01 – 2 4 4

Andrea LaPlace (W); Megan McKeel (L), Molly VanDeKeere (2), Cierra Peel (4), Tala Gentry (5)

2B: Teryn Williams (E) 2, Kaley Frank (E), Bre Bauschke (E), Delaini Disher (E)