Bismarck won 8-5 and 18-8 on Thursday in American Legion baseball at Fossum Field. The Smittys have a 4-8 record this season.
In the first game, Bismarck scored seven of its runs in the last three innings to rally for a win. Quinn Irey went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a double and a home run. Hunter Walsh added two hits, and Trey Bohan contributed two hits, two RBIs and a double.
The Smittys converted nine hits into five runs as Matt Swallow was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in and Lucas Lorenz added two hits in four trips to the plate. Mike Stotz had two RBIs.
"We hit the ball real well with 22 hits in two games," said Smittys coach Justin Downes. "We pitched pretty well, but we had plays where we helped them out. Bismarck is a really good team and they played a little bit better than we did tonight (Thursday)."
In the nightcap, Aberdeen built a 3-0 lead after two innings but Bismarck exploded for all 18 runs in the final four innings. The visiting team was led by Cole Bauer with four hits, Bohan with two hits and six runs batted in, and Tyler Claremont with three hits.
The Smittys continued to hit the ball and added 13 to their totals. The Smittys committed a total of nine errors in the two games.
"The hitting is pretty good and it's going to take that this year. We're relying on our hitting and athleticism to win ball games. We need to play a little bit better. Our bats and pitching are doing their jobs. We just have to put a whole game together," said Downes.
Dalton Cox went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs batted in and a double. Swallow was a perfect 3-for-3 batting with a triple. Stotz added two hits and Lorenz smacked a home run for two RBIs.
The Aberdeen Smittys remain in the friendly confines of Fossum Field for doubleheaders against Brookings on Monday and Sioux Falls Post 307 on Tuesday. Both doubleheaders begin at 5 p.m.
"We need to improve every game and keep moving forward," said Downes. "We're looking forward to regional opponents."
Bismarck 010 023 2-8 11 2
Aberdeen Smittys 000 122 0-5 9 5
Andrew Dill, Shane Wolf (6), Trey Bohan (7) and Quinn Irey; Carter Paulson, Jordan Allbee (7) and John Frisco. 2B-Bismarck, Josh Seibel, Irey, Bohan. 3B-Aberdeen, Matt Swallow. HR-Bismarck, Irey.
Bismarck 006 327-18 19 2
Aberdeen Smittys 121 004-8 13 4
Nathan Dinga and Jared Spooner; Zach Andera, Jesse Babcock (4), Layne Holzer (6) and Mike Stotz. 2B-Aberdeen, Dalton Cox. 3B-Aberdeen, Matt Swallow. HR-Aberdeen, Lucas Lorenz.