DOWAGIAC — Host Dowagiac scored 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth to break a 7-7 tie which led to a split with Marcellus in non-league softball Tuesday afternoon.

The Chieftains (3-1) won the opening game 17-7, but dropped the nightcap 5-3.

“We were very inconsistent tonight,” said Dowagiac coach Mike Behnke. “Defensively, we made some really good plays and other times we couldn’t make a basic play on a routine ground or fly ball. Our bats weren’t consistent either. We would hit the ball hard for a couple of innings and then would start to hit little dinkers. As a team, we need to focus more during the game and get more competitive if we want to win more games when we come back from spring break.”

Dowagiac opened the sixth inning with a game-winning solo home run by Greta Whitaker gave the Chieftains an 8-7 lead.

Amiyah Smith followed with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Maddie Stockwell. A double by Anna Dobberstein made it 9-7. Back-to-back walks set the table for a big inning as Madison Potter doubled in a pair of runs, while a Wildcat error allowed Jessie Hulett to score and extend Dowagiac’s lead to 12-7.

Four straight singles by Whitaker, Smith, Stockwell and Dobberstein, who were all batting for the second time in the sixth inning, allowed the Chieftains to win via the 10-run mercy rule.

Sierra Carpenter, who came on to pitch in the fourth inning, picked up the victory.

Dowagiac finished with 15 hits, led by Whitaker, who was 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Smith, Stockwell and Dobberstein all finished 3-for-4 with a double.

Stockwell and Dobberstein each drove in four runs. Potter was credited with three RBIs.

Marcellus took advantage of seven Dowagiac errors in the nightcap to earn the split.

Marcellus had just five hits in the contest off of Smith, who suffered the loss.

The Chieftains finished with four hits. Hulett doubled and drove in a run, while Stockwell had two hits and an RBI.

Dowagiac will return to the diamond April 9 when it travels to Niles to face Brandywine.