Bouncing back in the nightcap has been the MO of the Lakewood baseball team in their last two doubleheaders.

On Wednesday, the Vikings dropped their first game against DeWitt 12-2, then erased a 10-0 deficit to take a 19-12 lead in game two before the umpires stopped the contest in the third inning due to darkness.

Friday night, Lakewood fell by a score of 8-1 to the Redskins of Belding, but again rallied to take the nightcap by a score of 5-0 in a game called after five innings due to darkness.

"It's been a long week having to play six games in five days," Viking coach Keith Carpenter said. "We just need to play better in game one and compete in both games every time we play.

"We will continue working at things. We play a tough schedule for a reason and we hope it will pay off at the end of the month (at districts)."

In the first game Friday night, Belding scored three runs in the third and one in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Lakewood scratched across a run in the fifth, but that was all the scoring the Vikings could muster.

The Redskins plated four more runs in the sixth to round out the scoring.

Neil McCully got the win on the mound, giving up one run on three hits while walking four and striking out two. Brian Daller pitched in the sixth and gave up a hit and struck out one.

Collin O'Mara took the loss. He gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits while walking three and striking out two. Austin Bronson came on in relief in the fourth and gave up one run on two hits and struck out four. Brian Young pitched in the sixth and gave up four runs (two earned) on two hits, walked two and struck out one.

At the plate Belding was paced by Daller, who went 2-3 with two runs scored. Sam Syrjala went 2-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Tyler Strevel, McCully and Michael Albert each earned one hit each.

Connor Hansbarger went 2-4 with a RBI for Lakewood, while teammates Alex Caudy and Bronson each earned one hit.

The Vikings got off to a quick start in game two, scoring two runs in the first inning and three in the second to take a 5-0 lead, which held up as pitcher Kaleb Makely earned a one-hit shutout in his varsity debut.

Makely walked two batters and struck out eight in five innings of work.

Garret Anderson took the loss on the mound, giving up five runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one. Syrjala pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief and gave up three hits and a walk, and struck out two.

Page 2 of 2 - Cuady went 2-2 at the plate for Lakewood and scored two runs. Hansbarger went 2-4 with four RBIs, while Zach Kilbourn went 1-2 with one RBI and two runs scored. Brady Foreman also earned a hit.

Daller earned the Redskins' only hit in game two.

Lakewood (4-6) will travel to Williamston on Monday in a Capital Area Activities Conference White doubleheader.

Belding (4-7) will play host to Sparta on Tuesday in a Ottawa-Kent Blue doubleheader.