Back-to-back for Hounds

• Class A Championship

Shane Schoeneberg (facing), Levi Gaunska (left) and catcher Brady Anderson (background) go through the hand shake line after beating Tolna 3-1 in the Class A championship game on Sunday. (John M. Steiner / The Sun)

Talk about it

New year, same result in just about every way for Tom Gould’s Jamestown Hounds.

Levi Gaunska continued his near flawless work on the mound as the Hounds defeated Tolna 3-1 in a snappily played Class A state amateur baseball tournament Sunday afternoon.

Gaunska got his second win of the week and improved to 4-0 in the past two years as the Hounds repeated as Class A champs at Jack Brown Stadium.

“It’s just fun to get out and play with these guys. A lot of us grew up playing together so it’s fun to come out here and play,” said Gaunska, who played baseball at Bismarck State College this spring.

As good as we was on the mound, he also delivered the game-winning run with the bat.

Tied 1-1 with two outs in the top of the seventh, Gaunska lined a single back up the middle to score Tim Smith with the go-ahead run.

Later in the inning, Brady Anderson made it 3-1 with a run-scoring single that chased in Tanner Lunzman, who was running for Gaunska.

“We had a lot of guys play and you can tell they were having,” Gould said. “That’s what it’s all about. Getting out there and having fun. Then to play well, we didn’t make an error in the tournament, it was exciting. I’m happy for the kids.”

Gaunska had three hits and Shane Schoeneberg added a pair.

Smith scored Reid Monson with the game’s first run in the top of the fourth.

Tolna answered to tie it in the fourth when hot-hitting Braydon Gourneau doubled and then scored when Alex Berry followed with a two-out single.

But that was all Gaunska allowed. The strike-throwing right-hander did not walk a batter, of course, and allowed just three hits in the 1-hour and 22-minute game.

“I try to keep the game moving along. I know when I’m in the field it’s easier when the pitcher is throwing strikes, so that’s what I try to do,” Gaunska said.

He did that and more, retiring Tolna in order six times.

Gourneau pitched well again for Tolna. He allowed just one unearned run in five innings. Colton Anderson was tagged with the loss.

Amateur baseball

Class A state championship

Jamestown Hounds 3, Tolna 1

Jamestown 000 100 2 — 3 7 0

Tolna 000 100 0 — 1 3 2

Levi Gaunska and Brady Anderson. Braydon Gourneau, Colton Anderson (6) and Alex Herman. W—Gaunska. L—Anderson. 2B—Tolna, Braydon Gourneau.

Sun sports writer Dave Selvig can be reached at (701) 952-8460 or by e-mail at dselvig@jamestownsun.com

Tags: amateur baseball, sports, houndsbaseball, hounds