By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - The Niles varsity softball team split a doubleheader with Battle Creek Lakeview Tuesday afternoon to bring their record to 3-1.
The Vikings took the first game win 8-5 and fell in the second game by only one point, 7-6.
Niles was able to score three runs in the first inning of the first game, but Battle Creek was able to add four to its score to take a 4-3 lead over the Vikes.
Niles quickly answered back scoring one run in the top of the second to tie it up and another two runs in the top of the fourth to give it the 6-4 lead.
The Lady Vikes were able to score one run in the sixth and seventh innings to put them at eight.
Battle Creek had one last chance to catch up in the bottom of the seventh, but it was only able to score one run before Niles got three outs and took the 8-5 first game win.
Julie Kater was the winning pitcher for the Vikings against Andrea Flees.
Top hitters for Niles were Kater who went 3-4 with a double, Lindsay Carey went 2-4, Kate Whittaker went 2-4 with a double and two RBIs, Stephanie Schrader went 2-4 with a double and Kayla Gross went 2-4.
In the second game, the Vikings had many chances to break the game wide open, but couldn't come up with the clutch hit.
Battle Creek scored one run in the bottom of the first, but Niles scored two of its own to take a 2-1 lead.
Both teams stayed scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Lakeview scored five runs to put it up 6-2.
The Vikings made a big comeback in the top of the seventh scoring four runs to tie the game at six, but Battle Creek pushed a run across the plate to win the second game 7-6.
Fless was the winning pitcher for Lakeview against Niles' Kylee Mudd.
Top hitters for Niles in the second game were Gross going 2-4, Nicole Ignowski went 2-3, Mudd went 3-4 with two RBIs and Karly Kennedy had a double and three RBIs.
The Lady Vikes return to the field tonight when they face Edwardsburg at home. Game time is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. at Vella Park.