UJ Softball splits with U. of Science & Arts, Thurs

CHICKASHA, Okla. (UJ)  — The University of Jamestown softball team split a pair of games against second-ranked University of Science & Arts Thursday evening, winning 2-1 in the opener and losing 8-4 in the second game.

The Jimmies, now 15-5 on the year, will open Great Plains Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader at Hastings (Neb.) on March 20.

UJ won game one in a pitcher’s duel between a pair of All-Americans.

Jamestown scored the game’s first run in the top of the third, as Sydney Prussia (JR/Detroit Lakes, Minn.) led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gracie Fisher (FR/Bemidji, Minn.). Steph Cota (SO/Tucson, Ariz.) followed with a double to deep left field, bringing home Prussia.

The Jimmies added a second run in the top of the fifth. Fisher reached on a single to center and took second as USAO centerfielder Alyson Clemence bobbled the ball on the pick up. Cota singled to left to put runners on the corners, and Lauren Diemert (FR/West Fargo, N.D.) came in to run for Fisher. Morgan Geiszler (JR/Horace, N.D.) came through with a single to shallow left, allowing Diemert to cross the plate.

USAO put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Amanda Moreno doubled. Following a strikeout of Clemence, Shyla Clouse smashed a ball down the third-base line. Fisher came up with the ball but her throw was wild, allowing Moreno to score and Clouse to advance to second. Kat Miska (JR/Pequot Lakes, Minn.), an honorable mention All-American in 2018, struck out pinch-hitter Jaycee Kievit to end the game and give UJ their first win over a ranked opponent since a 5-4 win over then-No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan University on March 2, 2019 in Tucson, Ariz.

Cota finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Santina Zito (SO/Boise, Idaho) joined Geiszler, Prussia, and Fisher with a hit.

Miska improved her record to 6-1, allowing an unearned run on six hits in seven innings. She walked four and struck out nine while lowing her earned run average to 0.48.

Clouse was 3-for-4 to lead the Drovers. Emily Cerny (7-2) took the loss, pitching all seven innings and giving up two runs on six hits. She struck out six and walked one. Cerny, a two-time first-team All-American, lost back-to-back starts for just the second time in her career, covering 94 starts.

The Drovers exacted some revenge in game two, as Jolie Romine hit a walk-off grand slam with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Madelyn Blair singled to lead off the inning, and Lucy Sinkkonen (FR/Cloquet, Minn.) came on in relief of Katie Merchant (SO/South Haven, Minn.). Tarah Madron laid down a sacrifice bunt to move pinch-runner Suni Meely to second. Emily Cerny singled to put runners at first and third, and Amanda Moreno walked, loading the bases. Romine swung at the first offering from Sinkkonen and deposited it over the centerfield fence.

UJ trailed 2-0 after the Drovers scored once in each of the first and second innings. In the top of the fourth, Morgan Geiszler‘s sacrifice fly brought home Lauren Diemert to cut the lead in half, then one inning later, tied the game on a Megan Neiles (FR/Winnipeg, MB) single.

USAO answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of fifth to retake the lead at 4-2. The Jimmies had some seventh-inning magic up their sleeve, as Santina Zito and Katie Reisdorfer (JR/Fresno, Calif.) both reached on errors by Drover shortstop Tarah Madron. With one out, Gracie Fisher doubled to right-center, with Zito and Reisdorfer coming around to score and tie game at four.

Merchant (6-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on 11 hits in 6-plus innings. She walked two and struck out two. Cerny (8-2), the third of three Drover relievers, retired the only two batters she faced in the seventh to earn the win.

Fisher went 3-for-4 and stole a base. Geiszler was 2-for-4, and Reisdorfer and Kassi Ward (JR/Olympia, Wash.) also had hits.

Romine was 3-for-4 to lead USAO. Moreno, Madelyn Blair, and Alyson Clemence each had a pair of hits.

UJ finished their spring trip with a record of 8-2, outhitting the opposition .379 to .247, outscoring them 84-33, and posting an overall earned run average of 2.97.