The Aberdeen Smittys remained unbeaten at Fossum Field, but not without a little late-game drama at Fossum Field Tuesday night.

The Smittys defeated Brookings by scores of 10-8 and 6-5. The Bandits scored multiple runs and left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning in both contests.

“That’s kind of the fun part about baseball, too. You can be up for five or six innings, and then have it come down to the last three outs,” said Smittys coach Nathan Gonnelly. ” There’s just a different atmosphere when (that happens), and these guys showed up and they put them away, so they did a great job.”

Aberdeen has been involved in numerous 10-run and 15-run rule games so far this season, so Tuesday’s games felt a bit different.

“It definitely adds a little stress, but I prefer playing in these games,” said Aberdeen’s Grant Beyer. “They’re a little more fun.”

The shortstop said the tightness of the contests means you have to stay on your toes and think of the various scenarios.

“You just have to know what you’re doing with it if it comes to you,” Beyer said, “and just hoping the job gets done.”

Aberdeen took four-run leads into the seventh frame in both games. The Bandits made things interesting by cutting the deficit in half in the opener and closing to within one run in the nightcap. However, the Smittys were able to seal the deal in both games to gain the sweep.

“After the weekend it was good to get these games in and get some wins, also,” said Brendan Livermont.

Like Beyer, Livermont would rather be a part of nail-biters as opposed to lopsided contests.

“There’s a little more thrill involved in the games like this, I feel,” Livermont said.

The Smittys jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opener. Beyer drilled a three-run home run to highlight the frame. However, Brookings responded with four runs in the second and one in the third to tie the game.

Aberdeen then again scored five unanswered runs for the cushion it needed. Talan Dutenhoeffer had an RBI single in the third, Zane Backous and Livermont both homered in a three-run fourth, and Phillip Zens doubled in a run in the fifth.

Beyer had three hits in the first game. Backous, Zens, Livermont, and Beyer each drove in a pair.

The Smittys scored twice in the second and four times in the third to erase an early deficit in the nightcap.

Livermont started the scoring with an RBI double, Zens drove in a pair with a single, and Livermont capped a four-RBI night with a sacrifice fly.

The wins carried a bit more weight because they game against a league opponent.

“You definitely know that they mean a little more, so you want them a little worse,” Beyer said. “It means more to win them, too.”

The victories also give the squad a shot in the arm after dropping a couple of games last weekend during a tournament in Sioux Falls.

“It’s huge to win these games, because they do matter. They’re our league games,” Gonnelly said. “It just helps with our morale. If we win those close games like that, it just boosts everything that we’ve got going for us.”

And the Smittys have a lot going for them. They improved to 19-5 on the season and showed they can win games in a variety of fashion.

“We find ways to win it feels like,” Livermont said. “We play together a lot and when it comes down to it, you can tell.”

Aberdeen also remained unbeaten at home this season, improving to 11-0 at Fossum Field.

“I guess Fossum’s our sweet spot,” Gonnelly said. “We should play every game at home.”

The Smittys head to Pierre today for another doubleheader. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.

“It will be exciting to go down to Pierre,” Gonnelly said. “It’s always fun to play down there and just to see what they’ve got from a competitive standpoint, too, but I believe in our guys to get the job done.”

Brookings Bandits 041 000 3 – 8 7 1

Aberdeen Smittys 501 310 x – 10 12 2

Owen Schneider, David Brink (4) and Sam Johnson; Zane Backous, Cooper Eisenbeisz (6) and Talan Dutenhoeffer. 2B – Brookings Bandits, Nolan Miles; Aberdeen Smittys, Phillip Zens (2), Backous. HR – Aberdeen Smittys, Brendan Livermont, Grant Beyer, Backous.

Brookings Bandits 100 010 3 – 5 8 1

Aberdeen Smittys 024 000 x – 6 7 1

Z. Struck, T. Helmbolt (4) and J. Bauer; Jackson Welke, Lance Siefken (7), Donnie Soderlund (7) and Zane Backous. 2B – Aberdeen Smittys, Brendan Livermont, Jaxon Ladner.