MITCHELL, S.D. (uj.edu) — After being held to only two runs for the second time in three games, the University of Jamestown softball team responded with seven runs to defeat Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) University 7-4 for a split in Tuesday’s Great Plains Athletic Conference doubleheader.
Jamestown improves to 26-14 overall and 10-8 in the GPAC. Dakota Wesleyan is now 12-28 and 7-13 in the GPAC.
The Jimmies conclude the regular season with doubleheaders at Dordt (Iowa) College on Friday and Morningside (Iowa) College on Saturday.
Game 1: Tigers 3, Jimmies 2
Andriana Sprakel and Adriana Thomason hit back-to-back run-scoring singles in the bottom of the fifth to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead, as DWU held on for a 3-2 win.
Sydney Prussia (SO/Detroit Lakes, MN) got the Jimmies on the board in the top of the first, driving in Mikayla Frost (JR/Melba, ID) with a single. UJ extended their lead to 2-0 in the second as Miriah Yoder (SR/Devils Lake, ND) stole home as Mariah Martinez (FR/Visalia, Calif.) advanced to second on a walk with one out.
Amber Budmark homered to lead off the bottom of the fourth to cut UJ’s lead in half.
Kat Miska (SO/Pequot Lakes, MN) (12-6) took the loss, despite striking out 10 in 4 1/3 innings. Samm Hamilton (JR/Boise, Idaho) relieved Miska in the fifth with runners on first and third, but was able to end the Tiger threat.
Seven different Jimmies had a hit, including a double by Morgan Geiszler (SO/Horace, ND). Jamestown stole six bases, with Frost and Yoder each nabbing a pair.
Game 2: Jimmies 7, Tigers 4
Morgan Geiszler‘s two-run double and Katie Reisdorfer (SO/Fresno, CA)’s sacrifice fly helped the Jimmies get out to a 4-0 lead in game two.
Jamestown led 5-0 going into the bottom of the third, but with two outs the Tigers ended the shutout bid with a two-run home run from Karly Severance.
An Allie McCain (SR/Duvall, WA) single in the top of the fourth made it 6-2 Jimmies, but DWU came back with run-scoring hits by Andriana Sparkel and Adriana Thomason in the bottom half, cutting the UJ lead in half.
Reisdorfer’s second sac fly of the game made it 7-4 in the top of the fifth, and Jamestown relievers Samm Hamilton and Kat Miska kept the Tigers off the board for the final three innings.
Hamilton (2-1) got the win, pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief of starter Katie Merchant (FR/South Haven, Minn.). Hamilton allowed one hit and walked one. Miska worked a scoreless seventh for her second save of the season.
Frost, Geiszler, McCain, and Mariah Martinez all had a pair of hits. Frost and Martinez also doubled while McCain added a triple.
