Blue Jays break out bats hosting Coyotes

When a hitter gets her pitch, a hitter's gonna hit.

Jamestown High School's Alyssa Gange uncorked an opportunistic two-run triple Friday at Trapper Field, helping to ignite seven runs in a walk-off fifth inning for the Blue Jays, who defeated Williston 12-2 on a Jenna Fischer two-run homer three batters later.

Gange wasn't supposed to be swinging with the Jays' Marin Rasmussen on third and Makenna Jackson at first with two outs and Jamestown leading 6-2. But a signal to Gange from Jamestown head coach Marissa Drenth coincided with a hanging, middle-in pitch from Williston starter Caeliegh Goodman that Gange drove to the fence in right field.

"We had a runner on third and Jackson was gonna try to get caught in a run down and see if we could score (the) run," Drenth said. "So (Gange) was supposed to hold on that."

It was a split decision that Gange said -- in the heat of the moment -- she instinctively reacted to.

"We wanted Makenna on first to do a bad delay steal (to second) to get Marin home, but I decided to hit it instead," said Gange, who finished the game batting 3-for-4. "We needed something to get us going.

"It felt amazing."

Instead of simply scoring Rassmussen from third, Gange also drove home Jackson from first and later scored on a two-run error committed by the Coyotes. Drenth was happy with the unexpected result.

"It was a great hit," Drenth said. "It worked out."

Fischer then ended the game early with a blast to left field on a 2-2 count with Payton Gall on base. Fischer (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs, walk) wasn't in the starting lineup for game 2.

Jamestown clobbered the Coyotes 31-1 in a five-inning nightcap, with Fischer's game 1 homer being the only ball that left the yard with a strong wind blowing out to left.

Friday's games counted in the West Region standings, whereas Tuesday's season-opening contests hosting Dickinson were nonconference affairs. Dickinson won both, outpacing Jamestown 28-2.

"I was just honestly trying to get a hit because my last couple at-bats weren't the best," said Fischer, the Jays' junior catcher. "It felt good. It was nice to finally get ahold of the bats, too, for the whole team."

Jamestown's game 1 starting pitcher, sophomore Katie Falk, had both her arm and glove working in the circle. Falk struck out seven batters -- punching out five of the first six Coyotes she faced -- while gloving a pair of comebackers for easy outs at first and recording the final out of the fifth by catching a looping fly ball off the bat of Williston's Olivia Bervig.

Falk pitched all five innings in Tuesday's 15-1 loss to the Midgets, and also tossed two-thirds of an inning in the 13-1 nightcap.

"We wanted to put that behind us and get this one," Falk said. "It was pretty good. Jenna was calling good pitches."

Jamestown's seven-run fifth spilled over into the first inning of game 2. The Blue Jays sent 20 batters to the plate in the opening frame, scoring 15 runs on eight hits, five walks, and four Williston errors.

The home team outhit the visitors 21-2, with Katie Trumbauer (3-for-3, 5 RBIs, 2 walks), Ella Roaldson (4-for-5, double, 5 RBIs, walk), and Peyton Gall (4-for-6, double, triple, 5 RBIs) leading the charge.

Seniors Roldson and Gall were all-conference selections as sophomores.

"Obviously come the second game we had made adjustments and the bats came alive, so that was good to see for sure," Drenth said. "That's the thing about this team. Once they start feeling that good contact off the bat, I think everybody takes a deep breath, relaxes, stops thinking so hard, and it becomes more of a feel thing and an instinctual thing at the plate.

"I hope we can carry that over and keep getting better."

Gall pitched seven strikeouts in the game 2 victory. Jamestown (2-2) is scheduled to play the rival Hi-Liners in Valley City next Thursday (April 15).

Jamestown 12, Williston 2

WHS 000 11 -- 2 5 3

JHS 201 27 -- 12 8 0

Katie Falk and Jenna Fischer. Caeleigh Goodman and Sierra Main. W-Falk. L-Goodman.

Highlights: J, Falk 5 IP, 7 SO, 2 BB; Alyssa Gange 3-4, 3B, 2 RBI; Marin Rasmussen 1-2, BB; Ella Roaldson 1-3, 2B, BB; Addisyn Douty 1-2, RBI, BB; Elizabeth Grenz 0-1, 2 BB; Peyton Gall 0-3 BB, SB; Jenna Fischer 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB; Makenna Jackson 1-3, RBI;

Records: Jamestown 1-2, 1-0 WDA. Williston 1-2, 0-1.

Jamestown 31, Williston 1

WHS 100 0X -- 1 2 4

JHS (15)74 5X-- 31 21 1

Peyton Gall and Ella Falk. and Savannah Douglas and Sierra Main. W-Gall. L-Douglas.

Highlights: J, Gall 7 SO, 2 BB; Makenna Jackson 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB; Marin Rasmussen 2-4, 2B, BB, RBI; Ella Roaldson 4-5, 2B, BB, 5 RBI; Peyton Gall 4-6, 2B, 3B, 5 RBI; Rylee Joseph 1-4, 2B, RBI; Katie Falk 1-3, 2 BB, RBI; Gracie Gunderson 2-2, 2 BB, RBI; Ella Falk 2-4, BB, 3 RBI; Katie Trumbauer 3-3, 5 RBI, 2 BB.

Records: Jamestown 2-2, 2-0 WDA. Williston 1-3, 0-2.