From Jamestown Athletics

MITCHELL, S.D.– After seeing a three-run lead disappear in the bottom of the fifth, the University of Jamestown softball team rallied for six runs in the final two innings to come away with a 9-5 win in Tuesday’s opening game against Dakota Wesleyan University.

A Megan Neiles (SO/Winnipeg, MB) single and Gracie Fisher (SO/Bemidji, Minn.) double in the top of the first staked the Jimmies to an early 2-0 lead. LaLa Romero (FR/Surprise, Ariz.) singled home Steph Cota (JR/Tucson, Ariz.) in the top of the second to make it 3-0.

The score stayed 3-0 until the Tigers strung together five hits and used a Jimmie error to score five runs in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 5-3.

Jamestown rallied with two outs in the top of the sixth, scoring four times with a two-run homer by Fisher giving the Jimmies a 7-5 lead. In the seventh, Cota stole home and Gentrey Turin (SO/Sandy, Ore.) scored on a wild pitch for the final two UJ runs.

Hailey Schaefer (FR/Valley City, N.D.) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out four, to get the win. Cota finished 3-for-4 and scored twice while Romero, Neiles, Fisher, and Ally Battistoni (FR/Elizabeth, Colo.) all had two hits.

In game two, Maddy Zander (FR/Bismarck, N.D.) singled home Ally Battistoni to make it 1-0 Jimmies after the top of the first. DWU scored twice in the bottom half, then a grand slam in the second made it 6-1 Tigers.

The lead grew to 8-1 after a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. UJ’s final run of the game came in the sixth, when Steph Cota doubled to score Skylar Thorpe (FR/Petaluma, Calif.).

Battistoni and Katie Reisdorfer (SR/Fresno, Calif.) had two hits each to lead Jamestown.

The Jimmies were scheduled to host Mount Marty (S.D.) University on Friday but that game has been postponed to later in the month. UJ will next play at Dordt (Iowa) University next Tuesday.