Mitchell Post 18 lost both ends of a doubleheader at Drake Field on Sunday to Aberdeen, 5-4 and 11-1 in Legion baseball action.
After trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Lincoln Bates would get Mitchell on the board with a two run home run to make it 5-2.
Bates would then make his season debut on the mound and pitch three scoreless innings in relief of starter Dylan Soulek. Bates retired the last six hitters he faced and finished with five strikeouts.
Post 18 made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh when Soulek hit the first pitch he saw for a home run to left to pull within two. Karter Sibson laced a double down the right field line and would score on two wild pitches to cut the Aberdeen lead down to one.
Phillip Zens would come in from third base to pitch and retire three straight Mitchell hitters to secure the victory.
Zane Backous had four RBI’s for the Smitty’s with a run scoring double in the second and a three run HR in the third. Backous then came in to relieve starter Jaiden Smith who exited the game after the top of the third inning with a right leg injury when he stepped on first base after making the final out of the inning on a ground ball.
Soulek got the loss for Mitchell allowing five runs over four innings with four hit batters. Aberdeen pitchers also hit four Post 18 hitters for a combined eight hit batters in the game.
In game two, Aberdeen took control with eight runs in the third inning.
Mitchell starter Peyton Schroder allowed nine runs on 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Post 18 (8-4) is back in action on Tuesday when they play a single game at Sioux Falls East at 5 pm.