WATERTOWN – The Bobcats split with region rival Watertown on Wednesday night, dropping the first game, 9-6, before coming back with a 4-1 win over the Arrows in the nightcap.

Brookings plays host to Brandon Valley in a doubleheader on Friday that starts at 5 p.m. at Bob Shelden Field.

• Brookings 4, Watertown 1

Drew Cole righted the ‘Cats’ ship as the sophomore threw a three-hitter to pace Brookings to the win. He gave up one earned run in the seventh inning as he struck out six and walked three to pick up the W.

In the second inning, Brandin Heesch ripped a one-out triple to left field and then scored on Jacob Devine’s single to left. Tyler Kreutner drew a walk to put Devin into scoring position before both runners advanced on a passed ball. Cody Niklason’s fly ball out to center field allowed Devine to tag up and score as the ‘Cats led 2-0 through an inning and a half.

Jameson Meyer and Jacob Schoon led off the second with back-to-back base hits, and then, Cole laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up. Heesch hit a ground ball to third that was misplayed and the bases were loaded for Devine, who walked on a 3-2 count and forced in Meyer. Kreutner drew a walk on four straight pitches to push the Bobcats’ lead to 4-0 before a force out at the plate and a fly out to center field ended the threat.

The Arrows finally touched Cole in the seventh as Alex Gauer led off with a single and Micah Kauffman followed up with another base hit. After a fly out to right field, Brayden Shriver walked to load the bases. Ben DeVille hit a sacrifice fly to center that plated Gauer as Kauffman moved to third, but Cole forced a groundball out to Meyer at first base to close out the game.

Devine finished with a pair of RBIs at Kreutner and Niklason added one apiece.

Brookings 4, Watertown 1

Brookings                    022 000 0 – 4 9 0

Watertown                   000 000 1 – 1 3 1

Drew Cole and Jacob Schoon; Tyler Fairchild, Blake Holden (3) and Ben DeVille. W – Cole. L – Fairchild. 3B: B, Brandin Heesch.

• Watertown 9, Brookings 6

A Bobcat error on a double-play attempt set up the Arrows’ first run as Gauer scored from second on Kauffman’s double to give Watertown the early lead.

The Arrows ended up with seven runs in the bottom of the third to push their lead to eight runs as Gauer doubled after one was out before Kauffman walked to set the table for Trey Schmidt, whose triple cleared the bases. Shriver took one for the team to put runners on the corners before DeVille singled to plate Schmidt. Tyler Fairchild walked to load the bases and then Dawson Wirkus tripled to plate three runners and end Bobcat starter Chris Lerdal’s day on the mound.

Jacob Schoon forced Tommy Vener to ground out, but John Day singled to score Wirkus and give the home team an 8-0 advantage before Schoon induced a fly out to get out of the frame.

Brookings scored a pair of runs in the fourth to pull closer as Lerdal got on base via a fielder’s choice and later scored on back-to-back base hits by Cole and Kreutner. Schoon’s single plated Cole as the ‘Cats trailed 8-2 through 3 1/2.

Watertown tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Kauffman walked and scored on Schmidt’s double to make it 9-2.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, the Bobcats made it interesting by scoring four runs before stranding a runner in scoring position.

Niklason started the ‘Cats’ comeback with a two-out walk in the seventh and advanced to second on Akren Prodoehl’s base hit. Lerdal drew a walk to load the bases before Cole’s grounder to second resulted in an error to keep the bases canned as Niklason scored. Kreutner cleared the bases with a three-RBI double, but ended up stranded on a fly out to right field.

Lerdal suffered the loss as he gave up seven hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts for seven earned runs in 2 1/2 innings of work. Schoon surrendered an earned run on four hits and three walks with one strikeout in 2 and 2/3s. Brandon Nelson threw the sixth and struck out one batter.

Bailey Neuhauser earned the win on the mound – giving up two earned runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Schmidt threw the seventh and allowed four runs on two hits and a pair of walks.

Watertown 9, Brookings 6

Brookings                    000 200 4 – 6   8 2

Watertown                   107 001 x – 9 11 1

Chris Lerdal, Jacob Schoon (3), Brandon Nelson (6) and Cody Niklason; Bailey Neuhauser, Trey Schmidt (7) and Ben DeVille. W – Neuhauser. L – Lerdal. 2B: B, Tyler Kreutner, Akren Prodoehl, Cody Niklason; W, Micah Kauffman, Dawson Wirkus, Alex Gauer, Trey Schmidt. 3B: W, Dawson Wirkus, Trey Schmidt.