BRANDON – The Aberdeen Smittys wrapped up their regular season with one final victory and will now set their sights on hosting a region playoff series at Fossum Field.

Aberdeen fell to Brandon Valley 10-5 in the first game, before bouncing back to claim an 11-6 victory in the second game. The split secured home-field advantage for the Smittys in the region, which will be Thursday and Friday against the same Brandon Valley squad it faced on Monday.

Brandon Valley homered in its first at-bat in the opener to set the tone for the remainder of the contest. The hosts scored in every inning on the way to the victory.

Aberdeen scored one run in the fourth on a ground out, twice in the fifth on bases-loaded walks from Casey Vining and Jaxon Ladner, and twice in the seventh, one coming in on Jackson Welke’s RBI single.

The Smittys erased a 3-0 deficit in the second game thanks to a five-run third inning. Zane Backous had a bases-loaded walk, and a run came in on an error, before Vining’s two-run single, and Brendan Livermont’s sacrifice fly.

Vining hit a solo home run in the fifth, and Aberdeen plated three runs in the sixth, two coming in on back-to-back doubles from Backous and Phillip Zens.

Grant Beyer had an RBI single as the Smittys tacked on two more runs in the seventh.

Brandon Valley had its chances in the contest, leaving the bases loaded in both the third and fourth innings.

Backous, Vining, and Donnie Soderlund each had two hits for Aberdeen. Vining drove in three runs, while Beyer and Backous each had two RBI.

Vining struck out five batters, and Zens fanned three in relief.

Aberdeen capped its regular season with a 31-20 record. It opens the postseason at 6 p.m. Thursday at Fossum Field.

Aberdeen Smittys 000 120 2 – 5 4 3

Brandon Valley 131 311 x – 10 9 1

Zane Backous, Jaxon Ladner (3) and Talan Dutenhoeffer; Brandon Valley battery not reported.

Aberdeen Smittys 005 013 2 – 11 8 2

Brandon Valley 210 000 3 – 6 7 3

Casey Vining, Phillip Zens (6), Jackson Welke (7) and Talan Dutenhoeffer; Brandon Valley battery not reported. 2B – Aberdeen Smittys, Zens, Zane Backous. HR – Aberdeen Smittys, Vining.