The North Platte First National Bank Seniors showed their inconsistency on Wednesday, splitting a doubleheader against Columbus at Bill Wood Field.

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The First Nationals (10-9) were solid in the 6-4 victory the first game but they didn't have it together in the second, losing 18-10.

"The first one was a really good game for us but I don't know what to say about the second," said North Platte coach Rick Ostergard.

In the first game, both teams traded runs throughout the first three innings and the game was tied 2-2 going into the fifth inning.

In the top of the fifth, Jamie McKain hit a two-out double to right-center field to give the First Nationals a 3-2 lead. Jared Webster then drew a bases loaded walk from Jake Ek on the payoff pitch to make it a two-run North Platte lead.

McKain, who was also the pitcher, came up to bat again in the sixth inning and added two more runs on a single to left to make it 6-2.

Columbus tried to make a charge in the last two innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Colin Ortmeier scored a run with a double to right. Then with two outs in the seventh, Alek Murphy singled to score another run.

But with runners on the corners, McKain got Nate Ek to ground out to Jack Kenny at third base to close out the game.

"We played good, defensively," Ostergard said. "We played smart baseball in the first game."

Making smart plays was the difference between the first and second games for the First Nationals.

North Platte got a big lead after scoring one run in the first and seven in the second. But the pitching trio of Webster, Ben Sukraw and Kenny couldn't hold the lead.

Columbus got back into the game in the fourth inning by scoring five runs and they chased the starter, Webster, out of the game.

In the sixth, Columbus scored two more runs to get within 9-8 and in the top of the seventh, Columbus' bats exploded by scoring 10 runs against Kenny, who came in for Sukraw in the sixth.

North Platte scored one run in the bottom of the seventh but that was all pitcher Trev Muth allowed for Columbus in securing the split for his team.