Jimmies softball splits against Valley City, Dickinson State

ABERDEEN, S.D. — The University of Jamestown came out of the gates flying with a four-run first inning but could not keep it going in a 10-6 loss to Valley City State University on Friday, Feb. 17, at the Presentation College Dome.

The Jimmies started the scoring three batters into the game on a Maddie Spaeth single to make it 1-0. The Jimmies added three more in the inning to head to the second up 4-0. The Vikings (4-5) led off the bottom of the first with a walk and a stolen base before Alyssa DePoorter hit a single to cut the deficit to 4-1. The Vikings added another one in the frame to cut the deficit to 4-2.

The Vikings’ DePoorter came up in the bottom of the second and hit another run-scoring single to cut the deficit to 4-3. The Jimmies’ Megan Neiles pushed her team’s lead out to 5-3 with a single in the top of the third. The Vikings exploded in the bottom of the third putting up six runs including DePoorter hitting a grand slam to take a 9-5 lead. The Jimmies cut into the deficit in the top of the seventh on a Gracie Fisher single to make it 10-6 but it wasn’t enough.

The Vikings’ DePoorter finished the day going 4-for-4 with seven RBIs.

UJ 6, VCSU 10

UJ: 4 0 1 0 0 0 1–6 8 1

VCSU: 2 1 6 0 1 0 X–10 13 2

WP: Brooke Gaudry (1-2), LP: Hailey Schaefer (0-1)

Scoring plays:

First inning:

UJ: Maddie Spaeth RBI single, Trinity Gregg scores

UJ: Gracie Fisher RBI single, Spaeth scores

UJ: Abby Blair RBI double, Fisher scores

UJ: Megan Neiles RBI ground out, Blair scores

VCSU: Alyssa DePoorter RBI single, Ashylnne Copinga scores

VCSU: Riley Perryman RBI ground out, DePoorter scores

Second inning:

VCSU: DePoorter RBI single, Copinga scores

Third inning:

UJ: Neiles RBI single, Spaeth scores

VCSU: Maddy Zader RBI single, Marissa Hawkins scores

VCSU: MacKenzie Rist RBI single, Makenzee Stone scores

VCSU: DePoorter grand slam, Copina, Rist, Zander score

Fifth inning:

VCSU: DePoorter RBI single, Copina scores

Seventh inning:

UJ: Fisher RBI double, Spaeth scores

The Jimmies had another big first inning but this one was enough to see them get a 7-2 win over Dickinson State.

The Jimmies (2-4) opened the bottom of the first up with back-to-back walks before a strike out sent Fisher up to the plate and she clubbed a three-run shot to push the Jimmies in front 3-0. A few batters later, Neiles hit a double to make it 4-0.

The Blue Hawks (0-1) cut into the lead in the second and third to make it 4-2. The Jimmies responded in the bottom of the fourth when Maddie Spaeth hit a two-run double to score Trinity Gregg and Skylar Thorpe to make it 6-2. Later in the inning, the Jimmies’ Samarah Martinez hit a run-scoring single to score Spaeth and make it 7-2.

The Jimmies are back in action at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, when they take on MSU-Moorhead.

DSU 2, UJ 7

DSU: 0 1 1 0 0 0 0–2 6 2

UJ: 4 0 0 3 0 0 X–7 9 0

WP: Abby Blair (2-1), LP: Dallis Mitchell (0-1)

Scoring plays:

First inning:

UJ: Fisher 3 run HR, Gentrey Turin, Trinity Gregg score

UJ: Neiles RBI double, Samarah Martinez scores

Second inning:

DSU: Kaitlyn Rizo RBI ground out, Cassidy Venner scores

Third inning:

DSU: Hailey Enriquez RBI single, Rhea Paiva scores

Fourth inning:

UJ: Spaeth 2 RBI double, Trinity Gregg, Skylar Thorpe score

UJ: Samarah Martinez RBI single, Spaeth scores