Wolves sweep Jimmies

Talk about it

The NCAA Division II Northern State University Wolves defended their home turf of Moccasin Creek Stadium against the Jamestown College softball team in Aberdeen, S.D. on Thursday.

Northern State swept a doubleheader, taking down the Jimmies 8-5 and 8-1, dropping Jamestown College’s overall record to 8-7 on the season.

The Jimmies won’t have long to dwell on their evening in South Dakota, as they’ll be back at it in Dickinson on Saturday to face the Dickinson State University Blue Hawks in another pair of games.

Northern State 8, JC 5

A three-run rally by Jamestown College in the top of the seventh wasn’t quite enough in game No. 1 vs. the Wolves.

Jamestown College junior Kate Johnson belted a two-RBI double, which was followed by an RBI single by Erica Rush, in the final inning of play, but the damage created by the Wolves earlier in the game was too much for the Jimmies to overcome.

Jamestown College senior pitcher Jessica Lees had a difficult time slowing down the bats of the Wolves in the first two innings. Lees allowed six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings, as Northern State took command 6-1 after two were complete.

A total of four Northern State batters ended the game with multiple hits, led by a 3-for-3 performance from senior third baseman Whitney Luhring, who posted a pair of RBIs and also scored a run.

Jamestown College junior hurler D.J. Johnson spelled Lees in the second, and she’d finish the game allowing two earned runs on seven hits, while striking out five and walking one.

The Jimmies were able to score five runs off Northern State starter Kami Smesmo, but Smesmo would earn the victory in the circle after striking out four and walking one.

Jamestown College stranded seven runners in the game, as the Wolves stranded 10.

Johnson, Heather Haegele, Erica Rush and Rachel Ivelia all finished the game going 2-for-4 at the plate for Jamestown College. Johnson posted a pair of doubles and drove in three.

Northern State 8, JC 1

A pair of two RBI triples, one in the third and another in the fifth, by junior Northern State catcher Kelsey Robling, sank the Jimmies in the nightcap as they fell by seven runs.

Senior pitcher Steph Bolt started the game in the circle for the Jimmies, but was roughed up over five innings, allowing eight runs — six earned — on eight hits and a walk, while striking out three.

D.J. Johnson tossed a scoreless bottom of the sixth for the Jimmies, walking a pair and striking out a pair.

Robling, the Wolves’ cleanup batter, ended the game going 2-for-4 at the dish with four RBIs and two runs scored. Northern State junior pitcher Stephanie Horkey tossed all seven innings en route to victory, striking out three and allowing just the one earned run to the Jimmies.

Jamestown College got on the board in the top of the fifth while trailing 5-0. The Jimmies’ Kelsie Jensen drove in Kelsie DeBroeck with an RBI single to right center with two on and two out in the inning.

The Jimmies went just 2 of 13 from the plate with runners in scoring position, and left nine total runners on base while batting 4 of 20 with runners on. Both teams ended the game with eight hits, but all of the Jimmies’ knocks were singles.

Heather Haegele went 3-for-4 in the game, while Jensen finished batting 2-for-4. Caitlin Morgan scored three runs on a 2-for-4 day at the plate for the Wolves, as Brittany Huback was Northern State’s third player with a pair of hits in the game.

Northern State left just four runners on base.

Northern State 8, Jamestown College 5

JC 011 000 3 — 5 11 1

NS 240 200 x — 8 12 0

Jessica Lees, D.J. Johnson (2) and Janelle Spear. Kami Smesmo and Eryn Yancy. W—Smesmo. L—Lees. 2B—JC, Heather Haegele, Kate Johnson 2, Alison Roper; NS, Caitlin Moran, Kelsey Robling, Cat Zimmermann.

Northern State 8, Jamestown College 1

JC 000 010 0 — 1 8 1

NS 203 030 x — 8 8 1

Steph Bolt, D.J. Johnson (6) and Megan Heriot. Stephanie Horkey and Kelsey Robling. W—Horkey. L—Bolt. 3B—NS, Robling 2.

Records: Northern State University 9-11; Jamestown College 8-7.

Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja can be reached at (701) 952-8461 or by email at mikes@jamestownsun.com

Tags: college sports, jimmies, sports, softball