The errors and the walks were down while the production remained up for the Aberdeen Smittys on Sunday afternoon.

The Smittys played clean baseball, which resulted in their first high school sweep of the spring with 12-2 and 12-3 wins over Rapid City Central at Fossum Field.

“The kids played awesome today. … We played well defensively. Our pitchers really delivered,” said Aberdeen coach Nathan Gonnelly. “Karson Borge and Bennett Eisenbeisz go out there and throw two complete games. … And our bats were really solid today as well. So just overall a really good day of baseball.”

The Smittys took control in the opener, thanks in part to Jehiel Aviles, who rejoined the club after a brief time away. The centerfielder had three hits in the first game.

“I just got back from Puerto Rico. I hadn’t played in a while,” Aviles said. “I thought I was going to be off, but I just trusted the work I put in all off season and did what I had to do.”

Aviles doubled in a run in a four-run second inning and had an RBI single in a four-run fifth inning. He also had an opposite field double in the second game.

“It’s something I’ve always worked on,” Aviles said of his hitting. “It’s something I know I can hit the ball anywhere on the field. Opposite field, pull it, middle, wherever I need it, so I just trust my work.”

Aviles provides just as much off the field as he does on it, according to Gonnelly.

“Just all-around good baseball player, great teammate, too,” Gonnelly said. “When he’s here, you definitely know the dugout’s more alive, more positivity, more smiles, and stuff like that. He’s brings a lot to the table for us.”

Aberdeen’s improved defense was on display as the Smittys committed just two errors total on the day.

“We are doing really good at defensive plays,” Aviles said. “That’s something we struggled with our first couple of games and something we’ve improved at every single game.”

While the visitors from Rapid City were able to collect eight hits in the second game, they only managed single runs in three different frames against the crafty Eisenbeisz, who struck out six and walked just one.

Eisenbeisz does not overpower batters with his velocity, instead relying on a variety of off-speed pitches to keep them off stride.

“Usually start with some fastballs, see where they’re at, like speed wise. If they’re early, keep trying to throw that, if they‘re late, maybe try and throw it a little faster, keep them off balance,” Eisenbeisz said. “Mix in a knuckleball, because that’s way slower than my fastball, it kind of rainbows on in there. Or my curveball, anything that really just throws them off balance. I got to mix it in every once in a while to try to get them off balance.”

The lefty said he can tell when batters are getting frustrated trying to destroy a pitch they feel should be hittable.

“Yes, I heard one batter, swings at it, pops it up, he’s like ‘Oh no.’ That kind of happens when you swing as hard as you can,” Eisenbeisz said.

Gonnelly, a former player himself, can relate to that kind of experience.

“That’s his super power. I think back to when I was playing. I’d rather have to hit off a guy that was throwing 85-87 than try to bat off a guy who’s … it’s crazy,” Gonnelly said. “It messed with their swing. And their mentality. … You think oh, I’m going to put this one over into Groton and then you roll over and we got a Jackson Post who’s going to throw you out at third.”

Gonnelly said Eisenbeisz is another player who keeps things light for the team.

“He’s a great pitcher for us, and again he’s a great teammate, too,” Gonnelly said. “He makes people smile and gets the positive vibes going.”

While Rapid City Central had four doubles in the second game, Eisenbeisz limited the damage by forcing the Cobblers to put the ball in play and the Smittys made the plays behind him.

“Obviously, I don’t try and let them hit it,” Eisenbeisz said, “but every once in a while when they do hit it, I have those fielders, all those great athletes out there to make those plays for me. I’m very thankful for that.”

Like the first game, Aberdeen had three big innings to fuel the second-game win, scoring four runs in the second, and three runs in each of the fourth and fifth frames.

Joe Cogley had a two-run single to highlight the second, Levi Hoffman and Mason Backous had RBI singles in the fourth and Cogley produced a run-scoring double in the fifth.

Backous finished with two hits in both games for Aberdeen.

The Smittys, who are fighting for a spot in the upcoming regional playoffs, cap the regular season with doubleheaders against Sioux Falls Lincoln on Friday and Brookings on Sunday.

They definitely helped their cause with their doubleheader sweep against Rapid City.

“This is huge,” Aviles said. “Now we just got to keep rolling it.”

Rapid City Central 100 10 – 2 4 3

Aberdeen Smittys 043 14 – 12 12 1

Nathan Mailloux, S. Farnsworth (3) and Benjamin Farnsworth; Karson Borge and Levi Hoffman. 2B – Rapid City Central, Laken Uttecht, Steven Solano; Aberdeen Smittys, Jehiel Aviles.

Rapid City Central 101 010 0 – 3 8 1

Aberdeen Smittys 140 331 x – 12 12 1

Laken Uttecht, Brandon Pourrier (5) and Benjamin Farnsworth, C. Gregory; Bennett Eisenbeisz and Mason Backous. 2B – Rapid City Central, Steven Solano 3, Gregory; Aberdeen Smittys, Jehiel Aviles, Joe Cogley, JaSean Rivera.