Walk-off Grand Slam Lifts Jimmies to Series Win over Morningside

  • Posted By: Steve Linzmeier
  • April 21, 2019 @ 9:40 am
  • Sports
baseball-mound

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (JimmieAthletics.com) – Lincoln Trujillo (JR/Cheyenne, WY)’s walk-off grand slam with one out in the bottom of the seventh capped a five-run comeback, leading to an 11-9 victory for the University of Jamestown baseball team over Morningside (Iowa) College Saturday afternoon at Jack Brown Stadium.

Morningside used a ten-run ninth inning in game two to turn a 9-6 deficit into a 16-9 win in the second game.

The split leaves the Jimmies’ record at 28-14 overall and 17-7 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Morningside is now 23-16 overall and 11-12 in the GPAC. UJ remains in second place in the conference, three games behind Concordia (Neb.) at 20-4.

Jamestown steps out of GPAC play on Tuesday for a home non-conference matchup with Concordia-Moorhead College on Tuesday. The single nine-inning game is set for a 6:30 p.m. start.

Game 1: Jimmies 11, Mustangs 9
After falling behind 4-1 through five innings and 6-3 heading into the last of the sixth, Jamestown used solo home runs by Tanner Roundy(SR/Henderson, NV), Lincoln Trujillo, and Matt Meraz (JR/Aurora, CO) to draw level with Morningside. All three long balls came against Mustang reliever Thomas Johnson, who took over for starter Camden Parks to begin the sixth.

The Mustangs struck for three runs in their half of the seventh against two UJ relievers, getting a run-scoring single from Nic Metcalf and a two-run blast from Andrew Kasperbauer for a 9-6 lead as the Jimmies came up for their last time at bat.

Jaden Yackley (SR/Lynnwood, Wash.)’s one-out single began the rally against Spencer Wyant (4-3). Chase Hacker (JR/Millcreek, WA) reached on an error and Roundy bunted for a base hit to fill the bases. Drake Pilat (SR/Winnipeg, MB, Canada) singled to right-center, scoring Yackley to make it 9-7. Trujillo then crushed a 2-2 pitch from Wyant to left field, completing the comeback. The grand slam was Trujillo’s second this season, having connected on a pinch-hit grand slam on April 7 against Mount Marty (S.D.)

Seth Pigg (SR/Reno, NV) (1-0), the fifth UJ pitcher of the game, earned his first career win. Pigg entered the game following Kasperbauer’s home run and needed just five pitches to get the final two outs in the top of the seventh.

Jamestown finished with 12 hits, including home runs by Grant Okawa(JR/Mississauga, ON) and Drake Pilat. Pilat was 3-for-4 and scored twice. Yackley, Roundy, Trujillo, and Okawa all had two hits.

Game 2: Mustangs 16, Jimmies 9
Jamestown opened the scoring in game two, getting a pair of runs in the first for a 2-0 lead. Morningside answered with a run in the third to make it 2-1.

Deven Nielsen’s one-out home run in the fourth tied the game for the Mustangs, but they found themselves down by two runs in the next half-inning. Kaleb Binstock (SR/Grand Forks, ND) and Dirk Eymundson(FR/Parkland County, AB, Canada) walked to put runners on first and second. Jaden Yackley delivered a clutch two-out double to plate Binstock and courtesy runner Nick Wrigg (JR/Helena, MT).

Morningside concocted a rally of their own in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs against four UJ pitchers to pull ahead 6-4.

The Jimmie eighth inning saw five runs cross the plate, all coming on home runs. Yackley hit a two-run homer to tie the game, then Chase Hacker deposited the very next pitch over the right-center field fence for a 7-6 lead. After the Mustangs recorded the second out of the inning, Drake Pilat reached on a single and Lincoln Trujillo went opposite field for a two-run big fly and 9-6 lead heading to the ninth.

Fourteen Mustangs came to bat in the ninth, and for the second time this season, the Jimmies allowed ten runs in an inning. Nic Metcalf’s grand slam was the key hit of the inning. Nielsen and Levi Davidson each drove in two with a double and single. Andrew Kasperbauer and Shea Patterson also recorded RBIs before Jamestown could record the third out. Elliott Conover set the Jimmies down in order on five pitches to preserve the win.

Despite being responsible for five runs on five hits, including three home runs, Billy Mount (3-1) was credited with the win. Mount, the second of three Mustang pitchers, worked three innings, striking out one and walking two.

Tanner Roundy struck out a career-high 10 batters over 6 1/3 innings but did not factor in the decision. Kaleb Binstock (2-3) took the loss, giving up five earned runs on four hits in an inning and a third.

Kasperbauer finished 4-for-6 at the plate to lead Morningside’s 16-hit attack. Nielsen had three hits while Metcalf and Sam Huska both recorded two. Yackley had three of UJ’s nine hits and was joined by Pilat and Trujillo with two hits each.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Of the 45 total runs scored in Saturday’s doubleheader, 32 were scored from the sixth inning on…neither Morningside’s nor UJ’s bullpen had much success in the four-game series. Mustang relievers made seven appearances, covering 8 1/3 innings and surrendered 16 hits, including seven homers, and allowed 16 runs (15 earned) for a 16.20 earned run average. Jimmie relievers made 12 appearances, tossing 12 2/3 innings and allowed 19 runs (18 earned) on 18 hits for a 12.79 ERA…Pilat was a tough out at the plate all weekend. The Jimmies’ first baseman hit .714 (10-for-14) in the four games against Morningside. He reached base in 13 of his 17 plate appearances and had a slash line of .714/.765/.929 with an OPS of 1.694. Pilat extended his hitting streak to seven games and has now hit safely in 14 of his last 17.

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