(Three Oaks, MI) - Freshman Jeff Tertel pitched a complete game, but one bad inning from the mound was enough for River Valley to defeat New Buffalo 7-5 in the first game of a doubleheader in high school baseball on Tuesday.

 

The Bison took an early first-inning lead at River Valley when Vaughn Nikkel, after a walk, stole second base and came home on a throwing error to first base on a ground ball to the shortstop from Nick Wolfe.

 

Starting pitcher D.J. Freehling, struggling with his control, was taken out of the game and replaced by Shawn Driscoll, who got the Mustangs out of the first inning jam with no additional runs scored.

 

The Bison scored again in the third inning. Ethan Lijewski was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Lijewski came home on a bad throw by the catcher into left field while he was attempting to steal third base.

 

Tertel had not given up a hit until the third inning when the Mustangs reached base on two consecutive bunts for infield singles from Owen Slavens and Driscoll. The runners then advanced on a wild pitch.

 

Trey Ackerman drew a walk to load the bases. Three runs then scored on a ground ball into the hole at second base followed by two consecutive singles to left field by Cooper Lynch and Jack Seifert.

 

Two more sharply hit balls to left field by the next hitters, Matt Moore and Kayden Gibson, drove in another three runs. 

 

Tertel managed to get out of the inning on a fly ball to right field and strike out from the next two hitters.

 

Driscoll, with two outs in the fourth inning, found himself in a bases-loaded jam after giving up a single to Nick Messinger and striking two batters with the ball.

 

New Buffalo didn’t score again until the fifth inning when Hagen Davis drove home a run with a single to right field. The Bison pulled to within two runs in the sixth inning when Messinger scored on a fielder’s choice to second base after he reached base on a walk.

 

The Mustangs scored again when Ryder Wolnik singled to left field in the bottom of the sixth inning and stole second base then came home on a passed ball from Tertel to the catcher.

 

The Bison opened the seventh inning with two straight singles, including a line drive up the middle from Tertel. One of the runners crossed the plate but nobody else in the line-up could reach base.

 

River Valley (8-3) won the second game 8-0. The Bison fell to 7-6 on the season.