Jimmies close weekend with 2 wins
The Jamestown College baseball team really needed two wins Sunday. After an ugly outing Saturday, the Jimmies got exactly what they needed Sunday in Madison, S.D, taking two from Dakota State, 3-2 and 18-6.
The Jamestown College baseball team really needed two wins Sunday.
After an ugly outing Saturday, the Jimmies got exactly what they needed Sunday in Madison, S.D, taking two from Dakota State, 3-2 and 18-6.
Adam Ranger gave the Jimmies another stellar outing on the mound in Game 1 and Derek Wallace had a monster 2-grand slam game in the nightcap.
“We’ve had some ups and downs the last couple of weekends. Without question we had some ups and downs this weekend too,” said JC head coach Tom Hager. “We’re not playing very good baseball right now, but we found a way today to play a little better and you never apologize for getting a couple wins.”
The much-improved Trojans took both games Saturday — 6-1 and 12-5. They got plenty of help from the Jimmies, who committed 8 errors on the day.
“Even though we’re 23 games into the season, we’re still learning this team and they’re still trying to learn how to play Jimmie baseball,” Hager said. “We’re still trying to create our identity in terms of how we’re going to win games and just being more consistent in general.”
The Jimmies (13-9-1) head to Moorhead to face Concordia on Tuesday. If the weather remains good they’ll likely play at home for the first time on Sunday as part of the DAC preseason tournament, which was supposed to be in Rapid City, S.D., but instead may be played in Valley City Saturday and here Sunday.
JC 3, DSU 2
Ranger remained unbeaten at 4-0 with 5 1/3 strong innings. The right-hander from Naches, Wash., allowed just two runs on five hits with six strikeouts.
Nick Smart nailed down his first save by getting the last five outs.
“Adam gave us a great outing in Game 1 and then we got Nick in the right situation and he did a really nice job as well,” Hager said.
The Jimmies broke a 1-all tie in the top of the sixth inning to take a 3-1 lead. Perry Wilkinson delivered a clutch 2-out RBI single to score Max Boe with the go-ahead run. They added another one on a bases-loaded walk by Spencer Flaten, who finished the game with with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs.
JC 18, DSU 6
Wallace had not been in the starting lineup of late for the Jimmies.
But he was inserted at first base in the final game of the weekend set and delivered.
The senior from Oxbow, Saskatchewan, unloaded a 2-out grand slam in the top of the third inning to put the Jimmies up 7-1, their first comfortable lead of the weekend.
He struck again in the top of the sixth as part of an 8-run rally.
“Derek Wallace had an unbelievable day,” Hager said.
Wallace also had a double that banged off the left-field fence in what could have been a 3-homer game.
The Jimmies pounded out 18 hits in all, 12 of them were for extra bases, including nine doubles.
Leadoff man Joe Perez had a 3-hit game to match Wallace.
Flaten had two more hits — including his team-leading fifth home run — scored three times and drove in two. Jonathan Minchella finished 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs and two runs. His 2-run double in the top of the first set the tone.
Boe and Kyle Mallory also had two hits.
“We got contributions from a lot of different guys which is what we need,” Hager said.
DSU 6, JC 1
Defensive miscues doomed the Jimmies in both games Saturday, and it started early.
Jamestown College committed two errors in the bottom of the first inning in Game 1, digging an early 4-0 hole and could never climb out.
Seth Doxey took over from there and limited the Jimmies to just four hits in a complete-game win.
The Jimmies’ lone run came on a solo home run by shortstop Rudy Strnad in the top of the fifth.
Tony Fagan recovered after the rocky start and went all six on the hill for JC. He fanned seven Dakota State batters and surrendered just five hits.
Nico Moreno went 2-for-3 for the Jimmies.
DSU 12, JC 5
The Jimmies committed five more errors in the nightcap and the Trojans capitalized en route to a 12-5 win.
Things were going OK until the bottom of the fifth.
The Jimmies scored four runs in the top of the first and were up 5-3 after 4 1/2 innings, but the wheels came off in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Dakota State scored seven runs, only two of them earned, as the Jimmies committed three errors in the rally. The Trojans had five hits as well. The big blow came off the bat of Dakota State pitcher when Anyelo Roman, who connected for a grand slam.
The Jimmies were outhit 12-5.
Minchella was the only JC hitter to do much. His 3-run home run staked them to a 3-0 lead. He finished 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs.
Saturday
At Madison, S.D.
Dakota State 6, Jamestown College 1
Jimmies 000 010 0 — 1 4 3
Trojans 400 011 x — 6 5 1
Tony Fagan and Joe Perez. Seth Doxey and Kyle Holland. W—Doxey. L—Fagan (2-2). 2B—JC, Nico Moreno. DSU, Roman, Ryan Bourcier. HR—JC, Rudy Strnad (1).
Dakota State 12, Jamestown College 5
Jimmies 400 010 0 — 5 5 5
Trojans 300 072 x — 12 12 2
Paul Roers, Blake Stewart (5), Ben Mortenson (6) and Joe Perez. Anyelo Roman and Max Garza. W—Roman. L—Roers (1-1). 2B—JC, Moreno. DSU, Max Garcia 2, Bourcier, Jason Hershfield. HR—JC, Johnathan Minchella (1). DSU—Anyelo.
Sunday
Jamestown College 3, Dakota State 2
Jimmies 001 002 0 — 3 5 0
Trojans 000 101 0 — 2 7 0
Adam Ranger, Nick Smart (6) and Joe Perez. Drew Sweeter, Beau Behrend (3), Kyle Bradbury (5) JD Farley (6) and Max Garza. W—Ranger (4-0). L—Sweeter. Save—Smart (1). 2B—JC, Spencer Flaten 2. DSU, Roman 2, Hershfield, Ryan Steffensen.
Jamestown College 18, Dakota State 6
Jimmies 205 108 2 — 18 18 1
Trojans 001 030 2 — 6 8 2
Wes Hardy, Zach Mendiola (5), Blake Stewart (6), Chris Combo (7) and Perez. Hershfield, Seth Rockafellow (4), Andy Lee (5), Kyle Bradbury (6) and Garza. W—Hardy (2-1). L—Hershfield. 2B—JC, Minchella 2, Perez, Adam Smart, Flaten, Moreno, Max Boe, Derek Wallace, Perry Wilkins. DSU, Steffensen, Sweeter, Corey Pasichnyk. HR—JC, Derek Wallace 2 (2), Flaten (5). DSU, Kellen Romberger.
Records: Jamestown College 13-9-1; Dakota State 15-16.
Sun sports editor Dave Selvig can be reached at (701) 952-8460 or by e-mail at daves@jamestownsun.com
Tags: college sports, sports, jimmies, baseball
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