Jamestown's Max Anderson was shaping up to be the hard-luck losing pitcher Wednesday at Jack Brown Stadium until becoming the offensive hero in the bottom of the seventh.
Anderson uncorked a walk-off, two-run double to deep left-center field off Minot Metros' starter Tyler Buchanan, lifting the Eagles to a 6-5 victory in Senior Babe Ruth Class A West Region play. Anderson left the mound after six innings with Jamestown trailing 5-4, as Minot had pushed across five unearned runs behind a pair of wild pitches in the second and two Jamestown errors in a four-run fifth.
After the Metros secured the lead, Buchanan set down the Eagles 1-2-3 in both the fifth and six frames but ran into trouble in the seventh. Jamestown's Chris Erickson led off the final inning with his third single of the game and pitch hitter Jakob Schempp drew a four-pitch walk to put the go-ahead run on base.
Buchanan did get Jamestown's Tommy Falk to fly out to left -- Falk went 0-for-4 and left the bases loaded in the third -- before Anderson, batting cleanup, walked the Eagles off winners.
Anderson allowed seven hits and a pair of walks with a strikeout. Nolan Nenow was the winning pitcher after striking out a pair and getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
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Erickson went 3-for-3 at the dish with two runs, two stolen bases and an RBI. Jamestown committed four errors, which nearly cost the Eagles the game.
Jamestown got on the board in the bottom of the second with a double steal of home and second by Isaac Mimong and Michael Mahoney with nobody out and Jacoby Nold at the plate. Connor Hoyt was struck by a Buchanan pitch with the bases loaded to push run No. 2 across the plate with two outs before Falk grounded out to first to end the Jamestown threat.
A 1-6-3 double play started by Anderson on the mound got Jamestown out of the fourth inning leading 2-1, and the home team tacked on two more runs in the fourth behind an Erickson RBI single to center and a Hoyt sacrifice groundout.
But Minot wouldn't go quietly. The Metros scored four times in the fifth on three hits, two Jamestown errors and a walk. Minot sent 10 batters to the plate before Anderson picked off Minot's Calvin Baker leading off second with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Game 2 was ongoing at the deadline for The Sun's online edition with Jamestown leading 6-0 in the third inning.
Jamestown ended the American Legion Class A regular season last July with a sweep of the Metros in Minot, before going 0-2 at the West Region tournament in Bismarck against the Dickinson Volunteers and the Bismarck Capitals to end the season.
Jamestown improved to 4-3 overall and 3-0 in the West with Wednesday's win. Check the Jamestown Sun website at www.jamestownsun.com for the outcome of Game 2.
Minot fell to 3-4 and 1-2 in the West. The Metros have a win over the Mandan A's and a loss to the Watford City Walleye in the region.
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Jamestown moves away from Class A West Region play on Monday (June 15) hosting the Class AA Bismarck Governors for a doubleheader at Jack Brown Stadium beginning at 5 p.m. The Eagles return to region play at the Williston Oilers next Wednesday (June 17).
Jamestown Eagles 6, Minot Metros 5
MIN 001 040 0 -- 5 7 1
JAM 020 200 2 -- 6 6 4
Tyler Buchanan and Morgan Nygaard. Max Anderson, Nolan Nenow (7) and Tommy Falk. W--Nenow (1-0). L--Buchanan
Highlights: M, Tyler Budeau 1-4, R; Hunter Ruzicka 1-2, BB, R; Landyn Almy 1-2, RBI; Tyler Johnson 1-4, RBI; Calvin Baker 1-4, RBI; Aiden Stewart 1-4, R. J, Anderson 6 IP, 7 H, 1 SO, 5 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Chris Erickson 3-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 SB; Michael Mahoney 1-2, R, BB, SB; Mason Lunzman 1-2, R, 2 SB.
Records: Jamestown 4-3, 3-0 WR. Minot 3-4, 1-2 WR.
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