Jimmies win big, lose late in Arizona

Jamestown College baseball coach Tom Hager did not sugarcoat his frustrations after his team split on Friday in Tucson, Ariz.

After beating down Grand View, Iowa in the opener 21-3, the Jimmies had just four hits and blew a late lead in Game 2 as Grand View of Iowa rallied for a 5-4 8-inning win and a split.

“Until this team figures out how to win consistently, we’re just an average ballclub,” said the JC skipper. “We made it very clear to them that being mediocre is not OK, but right now that’s what our record says we are: a mediocre baseball team.”

It’s been an up and down start for the Jimmies, who are 8-7 overall and 4-6 in Arizona. They close the trip with one 9-inning game today against NCAA Division II Bemidji State (Minn.).

“It’s extremely frustrating because we have the talent to be better than a .500 team, but we’re not getting it done on a consistent basis and right now our record is indicative of that.”

JC 21, Grand View 3

The Jimmies were all over the Vikings in the opener.

They batted just four times, scored in every inning, highlighted by an 8-run second.

Spencer Flaten was a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored. Jakob Ohmann had two hits and two RBIs, while Mitch Stevens scored four times.

Darren Iseri allowed three runs in the third, but that was it to get his second win.

Grand View 5, JC 4

Adam Ranger pitched into the sixth in the nightcap for the Jimmies and left leading 4-2.

But the Vikings (5-6) rallied off Nick Smart.

Jamestown College led 4-2 going into the last of the seventh, but the Vikings forced extras with two runs in the seventh and then won it in the eighth.

After pounding out 18 hits in the opener, the Jimmies were stymied for eight innings in the finale with just four.

“It just goes to show that the game of baseball is an interesting and frustrating game,” Hager said. “We went from 18 hits and 21 runs to four hits and four runs. That’s the textbook example of inconsistency. Our job as players and coaches is to find a way to be more consistent.”

Jamestown College 21, Grand View 3, 5 Innings

Grand View 003 00 3 9 3

JC 285 6x 21 18 0

Meggison, Ross (2), Rosenbaum (4) and Marchant. Darren Iseri and Ryan Abel. W—Iseri (2-1). L—Meggison.

Grand View 5, Jamestown College 4, 8 Innings

JC 100 010 20 4 4 1

Grand View 000 002 21 5 11 0

Adam Ranger, Nick Smart (6) and Nathan Christiuk. Losada, Nelson (6), Anderson (7) and Marchant. W—Anderson. L—Smart (1-2).

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

Tags: sports, jimmies, baseball