MITCHELL, S.D.\u00a0 (uj.edu)\u00a0 — 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.<\/p>\n
Jamestown improves to 26-14 overall and 10-8 in the GPAC. Dakota Wesleyan is now 12-28 and 7-13 in the GPAC.<\/p>\n
The Jimmies conclude the regular season with doubleheaders at Dordt (Iowa) College on Friday and Morningside (Iowa) College on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Game 1: Tigers 3, Jimmies 2<\/strong> Sydney Prussia<\/a> (SO\/Detroit Lakes, MN) got the Jimmies on the board in the top of the first, driving in Mikayla Frost<\/a> (JR\/Melba, ID) with a single. UJ extended their lead to 2-0 in the second as Miriah Yoder<\/a> (SR\/Devils Lake, ND) stole home as Mariah Martinez<\/a> (FR\/Visalia, Calif.) advanced to second on a walk with one out.<\/p>\n Amber Budmark homered to lead off the bottom of the fourth to cut UJ’s lead in half.<\/p>\n Kat Miska<\/a> (SO\/Pequot Lakes, MN) (12-6) took the loss, despite\u00a0striking\u00a0out 10 in 4 1\/3 innings. Samm Hamilton<\/a> (JR\/Boise, Idaho) relieved Miska in the fifth\u00a0with runners on first and third, but was able to end the Tiger threat.<\/p>\n Seven different Jimmies had a hit, including a double by Morgan Geiszler<\/a> (SO\/Horace, ND). Jamestown stole six bases, with Frost and Yoder each nabbing a pair.<\/p>\n Game 2: Jimmies 7, Tigers 4<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n An Allie McCain<\/a> (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.<\/p>\n Reisdorfer’s second sac fly of the game made it 7-4 in the top of the fifth, and Jamestown relievers Samm Hamilton<\/a> and Kat Miska<\/a> kept the Tigers off the board for the final three innings.<\/p>\n Hamilton (2-1) got the win, pitching 2 1\/3 innings in relief of starter Katie Merchant<\/a> (FR\/South Haven, Minn.). Hamilton allowed one hit and walked one. Miska worked a scoreless seventh for her second save of the season.<\/p>\n
\nAndriana 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.<\/p>\n
\nMorgan Geiszler<\/a>‘s two-run double and Katie Reisdorfer<\/a> (SO\/Fresno, CA)’s sacrifice fly helped the Jimmies get out to a 4-0 lead in game two.<\/p>\n