From Jimmie Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (jimmiepride.com)– A five-run fifth inning helped the University of Jamestown baseball team break open the game as the Jimmies defeated Valley City State University 9-2 Wednesday evening.
Xander Orejudos (SR/Ellensburg, WA), Trent Peters (SO/Niverville, MB, Canada), and Kendall Yackley (SR/Lynnwood, WA) each drove in a run in the inning, and a VCSU wild pitch and throwing error led to two more runs as the Jimmies turned a 3-2 lead into an 8-2 cushion.
The Vikings scored one run in each of the first and second innings against UJ starter Connor Nipp (SO/Newburg, OR), but Jamestown was able to cut the lead in half in the top of the third. Yackley was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then moved to third on a throwing error by the VCSU shortstop on Ben Patton (FR/Bismarck, ND)’s ground ball. With one out, Chase Burke (SO/Minot, ND) grounded out to first and Yackley came home on on the play.
Jamestown took the lead with some clutch two-out hitting in the top of the fourth. Ryan Muizelaar (SO/Grand Forks, ND) and Triston Madison (SO/Post Falls, ID) hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Yackley doubled to center field to score Muizelaar and courtesy runner Troy Berg (FR/Dickinson, ND) to make it 3-2.
Nipp worked around seven hits over his first three innings and gave up just one earned run in 4 2/3 innings pitched, striking out nine and issuing one walk. Tanner Boe (FR/Mountlake Terrace, WA) (2-0) got the final out in the fifth and worked a scoreless sixth to get the win. Luke Zimmer (FR/Velva, ND), Ethan Krupp (SO/Corvallis, OR), and Eric Kessler (SO/Dallas, OR) joined Boe to pitch 4 1/3 innings of relief. The bullpen surrendered only three hits and struck out eight.
Reece McKenzie (SO/Gresham, OR) drove in UJ’s final run in the seventh with a single to center field that scored Peters.
Hayden Brown (JR/Buckeye, AZ) was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and seven other Jimmies finished with hits. McKenzie and Alex Alva (SO/Littleton, CO) each stole a base.
Jamestown improves to 2-1 this fall and will play a single nine-inning game at Mayville State University on Friday beginning at 4 p.m.