Valley City (Mark Potts) The University of Jamestown baseball team defeated number 2 Bellevue 7-6 in 10 innings in NSAA Bracket A Tournament play on Monday in Valley City.
The game had a rain delay of 5:30 from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The Jimmies scored two in the bottom of the 10th, game-winning walk-off single by Nico Kelly.
UJ is now 40-18. Bellevue drops to 49-9.
The Jimmies need one more win to head to the NAIA national tournament, when they take on Mayville State on Tuesday at 1-p.m. in the North Star Athletic Association tournament championship game.
By Mark Potts
VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The University of Jamestown came back from the brink of
elimination twice Monday afternoon, moving on to the NSAA Tournament championship
game after Nico Kelly’s walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th led the Jimmies to
a 7-6 win over top seed Bellevue University.
Bellevue scored single runs in the top of the ninth and 10th innings but Jamestown
fought back each time. In the bottom of the ninth, it was Landon Uetz’ sole home run
that tied the game and forced extra innings. In the 10th, the Jimmies scored the
tying run on a throwing error and the Kelly delivered a walk-off single back up the
middle to score Scooter Turin and set off a wild celebration.
With the win over Bellevue in the Bracket A championship, Jamestown advances to the
NSAA Tournament championship game on Tuesday at 12 p.m. in Valley City. The Jimmies
will face the winner of Valley City State/Mayville State, who play Monday night.
The game featured a weather delay of 5 hours and 30 minutes. First pitch was at
10:59 a.m., but a lightning strike at 1 p.m. brought the teams off the field with
the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth innings. A pouring rain followed
shortly after and continued for almost two hours. Crews worked hard to get the field
playable again at 6:30 p.m.
Before the rain delay, the Jimmies opened the scoring with a single run in the
bottom of the first inning. Matt Noll reached on a one-out single and then moved up
on Landon Uetz’ single through the right side. Noll was later picked off for the
second out but Tyler Ludlow delivered an RBI double to right field that scored Uetz
for the first run of the game.
Bellevue tied the game in the top of the second after Todd Nicks led off the inning
with a sharp single and later came around to score. Jamestown regained the lead in
the bottom of the inning after Christian Shouman singled home Peter Pennylegion for
a 2-1 lead.
Bellevue responded in the top of the third when Todd Nicks’ one-out double put
runners on second and third. Riley Baasch would score on Joe Moran’s RBI groundout
and tie the game at 2-2. The Bruins took the lead for good in the fourth when Derik
Bontempo drilled a two-run double off the center field fence for a 4-2 Bruin lead.
Jamestown got one run back in the bottom of the fifth when Matt Noll successfully
executed a squeeze bunt that scored Christian Shouman and cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Jimmies rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Ludlow drew a
walk to open the inning and was lifted for pinch runner Taichi Sasaki. Sasaki moved
to second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on Quinn Irey’s fly out, and then
came home when Peter Pennylegion beat out a ground ball to shortstop for an infield
single. The rain delay followed immediately after that play.
Bellevue rallied for a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. Riley Baasch and Todd
Nicks had back-to-back two-out singles and then Joe Moran drew a walk in a 10-pitch
at bat. Myles Campbell then delivered the go-ahead hit, a ground ball to third base.
Jimmie third baseman Landon Uetz dove and knocked the ball down but could not get up
in time to throw anyone out as pinch runner Blake MacDonald scored to make it 5-4.
The Jimmies would not go quietly though as Landon Uetz delivered a dramatic home run
in the bottom of the ninth, lifting a 1-2 pitch over the center-field fence and
tying the game at 5-5.
With runners on first and second in the top of the 10th inning, Bellevue’s Brandon
Salmon stole third base on a close play. Jake Browne took off from first base on the
throw to third and then Jimmie third baseman Uetz air-mailed his attempt to throw
out Browne at second base, allowing Salmon to score the eventual game-winning run.
Fast forward to the bottom inning and Jamestown put runners on first and third with
one out. Bellevue pitcher Max Dwyer attempted a pickoff throw to first base that
went into the dirt and past the first baseman, allowing Quinn Irey to score the
tying run. After the winning run moved to third, Jimmie leadoff batter Kory Wolden
attempted a two-strike squeeze bunt but popped out behind home plate for the second
out. That set up Kelly’s dramatic hit, a bouncer up the middle that had just enough
on it to squeak into center field as the game-winning hit.
Chase Thometz picked up the win after pitching the 10th inning for Jamestown. Dwyer
took the loss, allowing four hits and three runs in two innings.
Jamestown had 13 hits in the game, including three by Christian Shouman and two each
from Uetz and Peter Pennylegion. Bellevue finished with 13 hits as well, led by a
4-for-5 game from Jake Browne. Todd Nicks added three hits and a run.
Up next: Jamestown (40-18) advances to the NSAA Championship on Tuesday at 12 p.m.
Bellevue will take a few days off before hosting a bracket in the NAIA Opening Round
next week.
