Mandan’s pitching didn’t mess around Tuesday at Jack Brown Stadium.
The tandem of Alex Weiand and Parker Harm held Jamestown Post 14 to just one hit over 14 innings in Class AA Legion baseball play. The Chiefs came away with 3-0 and 6-0 wins.
Weiand twirled a no-hitter in the opener, walking three and plunking one in going the distance. He struck out three, needing 82 total pitches.
“He threw a one-hitter against Aberdeen - he’s been pitching really well,” Mandan coach Ryne Jungling said. “He’s gonna give up some freebies - he hit the first batter of the game. But for the most part, he stays around the plate. He’s been getting a lot of soft contact, a lot of ground balls and easy pop flies. That was definitely his formula today.”
Harm, a lanky left-hander headed to North Dakota State, was nearly as brilliant, though he surrendered a hard liner to left field to Joey Gebhardt in the sixth inning that broke up his no-hit bid. He walked two and struck out seven including the side in the fifth. He threw 83 pitches.
“He looked really good today,” Jungling said. “He got hit around a little bit against West Fargo, but we made a couple approach (adjustments). Just pitch sequence and stuff. He and (catcher Trever Leingang) have been working together for a long time, and they did a good job today.”
Mandan entered with an 0-5 conference record, having been swept by Williston and West Fargo. Minot also took a game from the Chiefs.
However, they might be turning the corner.
“We hope so - this is a team that’s experienced,” Jungling said. “We just needed to go out and win a game that counts in the statewide standings. To do that is huge.”
Jamestown’s struggles came in combination with bad luck. Weiand and Harm fielded multiple hard comebackers, with Harm catching two hard-hit line drives near his head.
“I wasn’t disappointed with our at-bats at all today,” Jamestown coach Cory Anderson said. “Sometimes, Lady Luck finds the green in the field and sometimes she doesn’t. That was the case today. I didn’t think we had poor swings.”
The losses did, however, spoil two good pitching performances by Tyler Ukestad and Joey Gebhardt.
Ukestad went seven innings, surrendering three earned runs on seven hits. He didn’t issue a walk, though he did hit one. He also struck out one. The game was scoreless until Harm’s RBI-single and Leingang’s two-run single that led to all three runs in the sixth.
In the nightcap, Gebhardt went six innings, giving up three earned on four hits. He walked three, hit one and struck out five.
“They both did a good job of keeping us in the game,” Anderson said. “They both improved on their last outings.”
Jamestown (3-7 state, 7-11 overall) plays host to Grand Forks on Friday night.
Mandan 3, Jamestown 0
Mandan 000 003 0 - 3 7 1
Jamestown 000 000 0 - 0 0 2
Alex Weiand and Trever Leingang. Tyler Ukestad and Shaun Hogan. W-Weiand. L-Ukestad.
Highlights: M, Weiand no-hitter 7 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 walks, 1 HBP, 3 Ks, Jarad Zittleman 2-2, SAC. J, Peyton Walker 0-1, walk, Ukestad 7 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 0 walks, 1 HBP, 1 K.
Mandan 6, Jamestown 0
Mandan 000 130 2 - 6 6 0
Jamestown 000 000 0 - 0 1 4
Parker Harm and Leingang. Joey Gebhardt, Shaun Hogan (7) and Ben Friebel. W-Harm. L-Leingang.
Highlights: M, Harm 7 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 walks, 7 Ks, Leingang 1-2, 2 RBIs, 2 R, SAC, HBP. J, Gebhardt 1-3.
Sun sportswriter Chris Aarhus can be reached at (701) 952-8462 or
caarhus@jamestownsun.com
