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MANISTIQUE -- The Manistique and North Central baseball teams split here Tuesday, with the Jets winning the opener 10-6 and the Emeralds securing the nightcap 11-8.
The opener was back and forth, with North Central jumping out ahead 3-0 in the first inning thanks to a single from Alex Naser, an error and RBI singles from Jesse Sampson and Owen Chartier.
Manistique (3-4) added one or two up until the fourth, where it took a 5-4 lead. The Jets (5-5) added two more just after to regain the lead.
In the top of the sixth, after the Emeralds tied it at 6, Connor Florenski, Owen Eichmeier and Evan Hanchek all singled, and Hanchek crossed home to make it 7-6 Jets. They added three more to seal the game.
Mercier and Sampson both finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Florenski and Hanchek each collected two hits.
Sampson earned the win over five, with six runs (5 earned), seven hits and four walks allowed. He struck out six.
The nightcap mirrored the opener as the Emeralds jumped out ahead 4-0 early. The Jets added one on Naser's single, but the Emeralds exploded in the second, adding five more runs.
The Jets chipped away at their deficit to make it 10-5 by the end of the fifth, and 11-7 in the sixth, as Florenski batted Mercier in to make it 11-8 with the bases loaded. North Central couldn't capitalize, however.
Mercier finished with two RBIs and three hits, and Naser added two hits.
North Central's Jordan Walters pitched three and two-thirds in his debut, allowing two walks and two runs and striking out four.
"Very proud of how we battled both games," Jets manager Jason Mercier said. "It's a great fun match-up with two even clubs. They have beaten some quality teams this year, it showed. We didn't quit, and 12 men left on base didn't help."
The Jets visit Forest Park for a doubleheader Friday, and Manistique hosts Bark River-Harris today.