The Nisswa American Legion baseball team split recent doubleheaders with Little Falls and Brainerd. At Little Falls on June 30, Nisswa lost the first game 11-1, but bounced back to take the nightcap 8-4.
Then on July 1 in Nisswa, Brainerd eked out an 11-10 win in eight innings, but in the second game Nisswa breezed to a 10-2 victory. Nisswa and Brainerd sport identical 8-4 records at this point in the season.
In the first game at Little Falls, Nisswa was outhit 12-6 and made two errors, while their hosts played errorless ball as Dan Bendzick pitched the first five innings to take the loss, while Joe Rydeen got the win.
In that game Matt Lambrecht was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Schaible pitches complete game in 8-4 second game win
Kyle Schaible pitched a complete game in the second contest, which saw Nisswa outhit their hosts nine to six, while Nisswa had three errors and Little Falls one.
In his route-going performance, Schaible didn't allow an earned run, struck out three and walked three and also went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Shepherd was 2-for-3, Lambrecht had two RBI, Nick Rardin led off the third with a homer and Zach Voels was also 2-for-3.
Brainerd wins see-saw game
In Nisswa on Tuesday in a see-saw ball game Nisswa held an 8-7 lead after six innings only to see Brainerd score three times in the top of the seventh when Cody Stange cracked a two-run double and Brainerd led by 10-8.
Nisswa came right back to tie it with two runs, but Brainerd pushed across a run in the top of the eighth and Brett Kramer held Nisswa scoreless in the bottom of the frame to get the win, while reliever Nick Rardin took the loss.
Brainerd outhit Nisswa 14 to 10 and each team committed three errors apiece.
Kyle Crocker had a double for Nisswa and Trevor Thompson a home run, while both Kramer and Bill Sather had circuit clouts for Brainerd.
Kramer was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and scored two runs, while Sather was 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Travis Whirley was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Nate Smolke was 2-for-5 with two RBI.
For Nisswa, Thompson was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, Desmond Janousek was 3-for-4 and Shepherd had two RBI.
In the second game, Rardin pitched a complete game with five strikeouts and Nisswa outhit Brainerd 10 to 6 with all of their hits being singles.
Brandon Shaw was 2-for-3 with a double and Josh Tokarczyk also had a double with Seth Helland taking the pitching loss for Brainerd.
Nisswa was schedule to play at Park Rapids on Monday and host Little Falls on Wednesday and then in a wood bat game they would travel to Brainerd on Thursday night.
