UJ Sweeps Northwestern IA. College, Fri. Baseball

ORANGE CITY, Iowa  (UJ) — Dru Fitz (SR/Gresham, OR) pitched a three-hit shutout, striking out 11 batters in game one, and the University of Jamestown baseball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit in game two for a 3-2 win and a sweep of Northwestern College Friday.

Jamestown improves to 12-7 overall and will play a doubleheader at Concordia-Moorhead College on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.

Fitz (3-0) tied a career-high with his 11 strikeouts, and allowed just one hit in each of the second, third, and fifth innings.

Michael Asahara (SO/Spanaway, Wash.) scored the Jimmies’ first run in the top of the second, coming home on a throwing error by Northwestern pitcher Brady Roberts. Tayler Cullen (JR/Santa Rosa, Calif.) made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the top of the fifth, then a sixth-inning single by Brice Foster (SR/Lynnwood, WA) and a seventh-inning solo home run by Luke Shekeryk (JR/Seattle, WA) rounded out the scoring.

Chase Hacker (SR/Millcreek, WA) went 2-for-2 with a runs scored, while Grant Okawa (SR/Mississauga, ON) doubled. Foster recorded a pair of stolen bases.

Kensaku Akiya (SR/Kawasaki, Japan) struck out a career-high nine batters over five innings in game two, but left the game trailing 2-1. The Jimmies rallied for single runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings for a 3-2 win.

Dylan Dudley (JR/Cottage Grove, OR)’s sacrifice fly accounted for UJ’s first run, then a two-out rally in the top of the sixth helped Jamestown tie the game.

Grant Okawa and Luke Shekeryk each singled, then Dudley followed with a single to center, scoring Okawa.

Brice Foster homered on the first pitch of the seventh inning for the go-ahead and eventual winning run.

Austin Pesicka (SR/West Linn, OR) (3-0) worked a scoreless sixth and was credited with the win. Andy Reed (SR/Woodinville, WA) struck out two batters in the seventh to record his third save.

Okawa was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored. Brian Rice (JR/Vancouver, WA) doubled, joining Foster as Jimmies with extra-base hits.

After Sunday’s doubleheader, Jamestown opens GPAC play with a doubleheader at Hastings (Neb.) College on March 20.