KingsfordÕs Noah Wilcox, right, pins the baseball against his leg for an out as Iron MountainÕs Gavin Goulette runs the baseline on Thursday, May 17, 2018, in Iron Mountain, Mich. (Adam Niemi/Iron Mountain Daily News)

KINGSFORD — Iron Mountain stifled Kingsford’s bats in the first game of a doubleheader split on Thursday.

The Mountaineers, with freshman Blake Julian on the mound, limited Kingsford to one run on three hits in a 3-1 win. Kingsford rebounded en masse with a 14-4 romp in the second game.

All in all, the split is par for the schools’ rivalry nowadays. The 94-year football rivalry ended with a dead-even split. Why wouldn’t it also happen in baseball?

“Give Iron Mountain kudos, they beat us. We just didn’t bring our A-game today. We did not hit the ball,” Lindeman said of the first game. “We just didn’t hit the ball. Our fielding was fine, our pitching was actually fine, but didn’t hit. Can’t win if you don’t hit. Their timing was just a little bit off. We didn’t hit anything hard.”

Julian struck out five and walked one. Kingsford managed just six base-runners.

Ben Stanish pitched the first game for Kingsford. He gave up five hits and five walks with six strikeouts. Stanish showed his fortitude in the third inning when Iron Mountain loaded the bases. On a full count and the runners stealing on the pitch, Stanish struck out CJ Dantes to end the rally. It preserved a 1-0 Flivvers’ lead.

In the fifth inning, Iron Mountain’s offense came through.

With runners on first and third and one out, Dantes laid down a bunt as the runners bolted for a suicide squeeze. Ian Anderson crossed home plate for the tie. Caleb Johnson scored on a past ball. Then the Mountaineers put on a hit-and-run with Gavin Goulette at the plate, who grounded out to shortstop Luke Terrian, scoring Dantes.

“The baseball gods were with us and we created some things with small ball,” Iron Mountain co-head coach Ed Felten said. “We left a lot of people on base but we were able to get them across.”

In the top of the sixth, Iron Mountain catcher Zach Spera threw out Terrian at third base to end the game.

The frustration after the first game was enough to ignite Kingsford’s bats.

“I’m mad about the first game. Defense was good and Ben actually pitched pretty decent. They did their suicide squeeze beautifully,” Lindeman said. “That’s something you can’t defend if you run it right. They ran two really nice plays. That’s good coaching on their part. Iron Mountain has come a long ways from our last time out.”

In the second game, the Flivvers pounded 14 hits including four doubles from Jon Sturm, Marcus Kazianka, Carter Kreski and Noah Lavarnway.

Terrian had two singles and three stolen bases. Kreski, Sturm, Kazianka and Lavarnway also had two hits apiece.

Hunter Lindeman started the second game on the mound for Kingsford and went the distance. He gave up four runs on eight hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.

Iron Mountain’s bats were led by a two-run home run from CJ Bolo in the third inning that cut Kingsford’s lead to 6-3. Ian Anderson, Julian and Bolo had two hits apiece.

Kingsford’s offensive might was in a groove with three consecutive hits in the third and fourth innings in which the Flivvers scored a combined seven runs.

Caleb Johnson started on the mound for Iron Mountain. He went 1 2/3 innings and gave up four walks and a hit. Brent Aman, Will Strand and Goulette pitched the rest of the game and gave up a combined 13 runs on 13 hits with three walks and one strikeout.

“A lot of ground balls, our defense stood behind our pitcher. The boys absolutely played great defense,” Iron Mountain co-head coach Paul Julian said. “They did a great job with small ball. The suicide squeeze got us back to a tie. Created a little chaos with the hit and run to bring the lead up. It was good all around.”

First game

Kingsford 010 000 — 1 3 1

Iron Mountain 000 03x — 3 5 1

Second game

Kingsford 123 422 — 14 14 1

Iron Mountain 102 010 — 4 8 1