The Brandon varsity baseball team continues to battle an up-and-down season.
That was evident in the Blackhawks? May 22 doubleheader against Flint Metro League rival Lapeer West, where the Blackhawks defeated the Panthers 7-1 in the first game, but lost 4-2 in the second game.
Brandon is now 9-17 overall and 4-9 in the Flint Metro League.
In the opener, Brandon’s Andy Harding hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning as the Blackhawks broke open a 4-1 game and pulled away for the victory. Jake Feltner pitched a complete game and went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
In the nightcap, the Panthers spotted the Blackhawks a two-run lead before scoring three runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-2 lead. Lapeer West added an insurance run in the fifth inning.
Harding and Feltner each had two hits for the Blackhawks in a losing cause.
The Blackhawks also had a tough time at the Clarkston Invitational Saturday, May 20, losing a 9-3 game against Berkley and a 7-4 game against Lapeer West.
In the first game, Berkley’s offense scored their runs in groups of three, scoring three runs each in the first, second and third innings to cruise to the victory. The Brandon offense had their troubles against the Bears in the first game, managing just two hits, although one of them was a sixth-inning solo home run by Harding.
Brandon was again vulnerable to the big inning in the second game of the invitational against the Panthers. After the Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Panthers came inching back into the game with one run each in the second and third innings. Lapeer West then scored four runs in the fourth inning to break the game open.
Ken McNeil went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Blackhawks, while Jon Eggert went 2-for-4 with a run scored.