BROOKINGS – The Bandits split a Legion baseball doubleheader with Aberdeen Post 24 on Wednesday evening, winning the nightcap 9-4 after dropping the opener 12-1 in five innings.

Brookings Post 74 (3-11) competes in the St. Cloud Tournament beginning Friday.

Game 1

• Aberdeen 12, Brookings 1 (5 inn.)

Brandon Kusler tossed a four-hitter and Derek Hunstad went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs as the Smittys cruised in the opener.

Aberdeen led 5-1 through two innings, before putting up two more runs in the third and five in the fifth to end the game early.

Kusler gave up one run with two strikeouts and a walk.

Bailey Hauge, who had two RBIs, and Tyler Traphagen, who notched one RBI, both finished 2-for-2. Kyle Allbee also had two hits.

Kusler doubled in the first inning and later scored on Hunstad’s sacrifice fly.

Hauge had an RBI single in the second. Colton Cox reached on an error as Traphagen, who singled, scored. Hunstad’s two-run double pushed the margin to 5-0.

Brookings scored its lone run in the bottom of the second, with Justin Devine plating Cody Niklason with a single.

RBI singles by Traphagen and Hauge put the Smittys up 7-1 in the third.

In the fifth, Colton Cox had a two-run double. Hunstad added an RBI single. Kusler, who walked, scampered home on Stuart Farrand’s sacrifice fly and Casey Hermansen forced in Hunstad after getting hit by a pitch to provide for the final margin.

Will Shaefbauer also doubled for Post 24.

Jacob Devine took the loss on the mound after giving up nine runs – six earned – on 10 hits and five walks with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

ABERDEEN 12, BROOKINGS 1 (5 inn.)

Aberdeen                     142 05 – 12 13 1

Brookings                    010 00 –   1   4 1

Brandon Kusler and K Allbee; Jacob Devine, Brandon Nelson (5) and Cody Niklason. W – Kusler. L – Devine. 2B: A, Colton Cox, Kusler, Derek Hunstad, Will Shaefbauer.

Game 2

• Brookings 9, Aberdeen 4

The Bandits overcame an early 3-0 deficit to earn the split.

The Smittys put up three runs in the first.

Hunstad, who finished 2-for-2, had an RBI double. Kusler, who walked, scored on an error on a batted by by Farrand. A Lucas Fredrick fielder’s choice plated Hunstad.

Brookings’ Jameson Meyer drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Jacob Devine, who was hit by a pitch to open the inning, in the bottom of the first.

Chris Lerdal pulled the Bandits within 3-2 with an RBI single in the second.

Hauge walked to plate Farrand, who singled, in the third to put Post 24 up 4-2.

In the bottom of the third, Meyer singled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Jacob Schoon’s groundout.

Meyer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth. Jacob Devine, who was hit by a pitch, scored to tie it at 4-all.

Schoon’s RBI single put the Bandits up 5-4. He had two RBIs in the win.

In the fifth, Tyler Kreutner reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored on a wild pitch. Akren Prodoehl, who went 2-for-4, added an RBI single.

Brandon Nelson plated a run with a single in the sixth. He later scored when Lerdal was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Meyer earned the win on the mound, allowing four runs – three earned – on seven hits and three walks with eight strikeouts.

Lerdal notched the save after striking out three batters and walking one over the final two frames.

Matt Trenhaile took the loss, surrendering seven runs on seven hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings.

BROOKINGS 9, ABERDEEN 4

Aberdeen                     301 000 0 – 4   7 0

Brookings                    111 222 x – 9 10 4

Matt Trenhaile, Tyler Traphagen (5), Stuart Farrand (6) and Lucas Fredrick; Jameson Meyer, Chris Lerdal (6) and Cody Niklason. W – Meyer. L – Trenhaile. Sv – Lerdal. 2B: A, Colton Cox, Derek Hunstad.