RAPID CITY – The Aberdeen Smittys struck first in both games against Rapid City Post 320, but weren’t able to hold their leads in American Legion baseball on Thursday.

The Smittys dropped the first game on the road 10-6 and the second game 4-3 in the final innings of play.

In game one, the Smittys got on the scoreboard first with two runs. An error on a Jehiel Aviles ground ball allowed Joe Cogley and Ridley Waldo to reach home.

The Smittys didn’t hold their lead for long as Post 320 got one run n the bottom half of the inning, and another three in the bottom of the second.

Rapid City Post 320 didn’t hold its lead for too long either as the Smittys put up three runs in the fourth inning to regain the lead. They tied the game up when Michael Dutenhoffer stole home on a passed ball and Levi Hoffman reached home on an error by the catcher. They retook the lead on a first-and-third play with Grant Beyer taking home while Waldo sacrificed an out at second.

The host team went on to score four unanswered runs to take an 8-5 lead. The Smittys cut the lead down to two on a Beyer home run it in the sixth, but that was it as Rapid City Post 320 put up two more runs in the bottom half of the inning and successfully recorded three outs to close the game.

In the second game, it was scoreless until the Smittys scored all three of their runs in the third. The first two came on a two-run double from Cogley scoring Hoffman and Waldo. The following at bat, Cogley advanced to third on a missed pickoff attempt and Jaxon Ladner brought him in with a sac-fly to right field.

A late push from Rapid City Post 320 gave the hosts two runs in the bottom of the fifth, and another two in the bottom of the sixth with the game-winning run coming on a passed ball with two outs.

The same two teams are back in action today.

Aberdeen Smittys 200 301 0 – 6 6 3

Rapid City Post 320 130 222 x – 10 14 5

Grant Beyer, Jaxon Ladner (4) and Levi Hoffman; Anders Lockhart, Seth Lefebre (4) and C Wit. 2B – Aberdeen Smittys, Ridley Waldo; Rapid City Post 320, Ayden Byrd, Noah Wald, Nolan Williamson. HR – Aberdeen Smittys, Grant Beyer.

Aberdeen Smittys 003 000 0 – 3 5 1

Rapid City Post 320 000 022 x – 4 9 5

Bennett Eisenbeisz, Jared Klootwyk (6) and Levi Hoffman; Nolan Williamson and M. Delapena. 2B –  Aberdeen Smittys, Joe Cogley. 3B – Aberdeen Smittys, Jehiel Aviles.