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For the first time in the spring season, the University of Jamestown baseball team had one game. The Jimmies took down the Park University-Gilbert Buccaneers 4-2 Tuesday, March 8, in Tucson, Arizona,.
The Jimmies (8-7) used an opener in this game with reliever Ben Ray taking the ball, in a move that head coach Tom Hager said was because he trusted Ray and the guys that took the ball behind him.
The Buccaneers (3-9) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Austin Chouinard singled home Alex Stinett. The Bucs would double their lead in the top of the second thanks to a single from Logan Livingston to score Cade Maestas. That would be the last pitch Ray would throw as Hager brought in Rafael Cortez, who promptly got a strikeout to get out of the inning, as part of a seven strikeout performance.
The Jimmies responded in the bottom of the inning with Luke Shekeryk getting on base after an error from the third baseman, Maestas. After a Taylor Cullen double brought Shekeryk 90 feet away, Kendall Yackley reached on an error by the right fielder, Enrique Figueroa, bringing Shekeryk home to make it 2-1. Later in the inning Cullen would score on a fielder's choice.
The Jimmies would give the bullpen breathing room in the third, when Tanner Sheppard clubbed a double to left field, scoring Xander Orejudos all the way from first to make it 3-1.
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Cortez was joined by Cameron Jenkins and Eric Kessler in shutting the door, finishing with nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work.
“It was essential,” Hager said. “We used a lot of guys the last few days. We wanted to have a game plan so we could use the guys we needed to but without putting too much of a taxing effort on the rest of the bullpen. We got the guys in there that needed to throw and they did an outstanding job.”
The Jimmies return to the diamond at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 11, when they face Ottawa University-Arizona.
PU-G 2, UJ 4
PU-G: 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0–2 7 2
UJ: 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0–4 7 0
Scoring plays:
First inning:
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PU-G: Austin Chouinard RBI single, Alex Stinnett scores
Second inning:
PU-G: Logan Livingston RBI single, Cade Maestas scores
UJ: Kendall Yackley reaches first on an error by Enrique Figueroa, Luke Shekeryk scores
UJ: Quade Peters reaches on a fielder’s choice, Taylor Cullen scores
Third inning:
UJ: Tanner Sheppard RBI double, Xander Orejudos scores
WP: Rafael Cortez (1-0), LP: Nick Marcon (0-1)
