DOWAGIAC — Visiting Niles scored two runs in the top of the seventh to edge Dowagiac Thursday afternoon in the first of two non-conference baseball games.

The Vikings (2-0) led 3-0 at one point and 4-1 before the Chieftains (1-1) rallied with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 lead.

But in the seventh, Niles scored a pair of runs to earn the hard-fought 7-5 victory.

The second game was halted after four innings due to darkness.

Matthew McLaughlin drew a lead-off walk to get the Niles rally started. Taylor Campbell laid down a bunt, which was mishandled by the Dowagiac pitcher, allowing both runners to reach base safely. McLaughlin with some heads-up base running advanced to third on the play. Chris Mangus followed with another walk to load the bases for Tyler Parish, who ripped a pitch into the left-center field gap to drive in the tying and game-winning run.

An insurance run crossed the plate when Mangus scored on a wild pitch.

Niles opened the scoring in the third inning when Logan Harpenau stroked a lead-off double. McLaughlin took the next pitch to right field where the ball was misplayed, but Harpenau was cut down at the plate trying to score on a nice relay from Cody Carnell to Mike Pranschke to Chieftain catcher Brett Scanlon, who had plenty of time to make the tag.

With another heads-up play, McLaughlin advanced all the way to third on the throw to the plate and scored easily on Campbell’s double over the right fielder’s head.

Mangus followed with a single, which left runners at first and third. Campbell scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.

The Vikings increased their lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning when McLaughlin reached base on an error and then stole second. Following a strikeout, Mangus hit a ball that landed just in front of the plate. Scanlon pounced on the ball and threw Mangus out at first, but with no one covering the plate, McLaughlin raced home with the game’s third run.

Dowagiac finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth when Carnell was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a passed ball, moved to third on a single by Chad Gravatt and scored on wild pitch.

Niles got that run right back in the top half of the sixth when Seth Purucker doubled over the third base bag to score Mitchell Dehn, who opened the inning with a double.

Dowagiac’s bats finally came alive in the bottom of the sixth.

A lead-off walk to Jason Turner, a walk to Scanlon and a single by Cal Cox loaded the bases for Zak Hyatt, who drew a walk to drive in a run. Pranschke followed with a two-strike ground out to second base which plated the Chieftains’ third run.

Dowagiac tied the game on a run-scoring single by Carnell and took the lead when Carnell stole second and Hyatt raced home with the go-ahead run when Niles threw down to second.

Mangus earned the victory for the Vikings as he worked the first five innings, allowing three hits and striking out three.

Dowagiac’s Aaron Blaske took the loss in relief of starter Hyatt and Cox. Hyatt and Cox combined for 15 strikeouts, two hits and two walks.