JAMESTOWN, N.D. (JimmieAthletics.com) – Due to the cold weather that plagued the upper Midwest this spring, all but one of the 16th-ranked University of Jamestown baseball team’s scheduled home doubleheaders had to be played elsewhere.
On Monday, the upcoming weekend North Star Athletic Association triangular featuring the Jimmies, Viterbo (Wis.), and Dakota State (S.D.) orginally set for Madison, S.D., was moved to Jamestown, giving UJ six more times to play in front of the home crowd at Jack Brown Stadium.
The Jimmies took advantage of the opportunity Friday, scoring 34 runs on 37 hits in wins over Viterbo and Dakota State. Jamestown defeated the V-Hawks 18-5 in their first game of the day, then finished with a 16-3 victory against the Trojans.
Kaleb Binstock (JR/Grand Forks, ND) went 4-for-5 with two homers, a double, four runs scored, and eight RBI to pace the offense in game one.
UJ led 2-0 after the first, then plated five in each of the next two innings to take a commanding 12-0 lead. A six-spot in the fourth made it 18-0.
Jamestown pounded out 20 hits against four Viterbo pitchers. Quinn Irey (SR/Bismarck, ND) was 3-for-4 while Jaden Yackley(JR/Lynnwood, Wash.), Pete Pennylegion (SR/Ferndale, WA), and Tanner Roundy (JR/Henderson, NV) all had multiple hits. Tyler Ludlow(SR/Port Orchard, WA) also went deep as twelve different Jimmies finished with at least one hit. Six others drove in runs.
Viterbo’s Jimmy Mrozek hit a three-run home run and Joe Cliver singled in another during a four-run sixth. The V-Hawks added another run in the seventh for the last run of the game.
Chase Thometz (SR/Sandy, OR) (9-0) scattered two hits over five shutout innings for the win. He struck out five and did not issue a walk. Matt Basten (0-5) took the loss for Viterbo, giving up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in two innings.
Mrozek and Myles Sandeen had two hits for the V-Hawks (11-37, 8-11 NSAA).
Dakota State took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first in Friday’s nightcap. Samuel Drummond’s triple brought in Alec Gannon, then Justin Odlum singled to score Drummond.
Quinn Irey’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half scored Kory Wolden(SR/West Fargo, ND) to make it a 2-1 game. The Jimmies added a pair of runs in each of the next three innings, taking a 7-2 lead into the fifth.
After holding Dakota State scoreless in the top half, UJ sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning, and came away with eight runs on six hits, an error, and two walks. Scooter Turin (SR/Sandy, OR) hit a three-run home run, Taichi Sasaki (SR/Sakai, Osaka, Japan) and Drake Pilat (JR/Winnipeg, MB, Canada) both had two-run singles, and Binstock drove in another with a single.
Leading 15-2, Jamestown scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth as Luke Rehn (JR/Sunman, IN) singled home Zach Zurbrugg(JR/Bremerton, WA).
The Trojans tallied one more time in the top of the seventh. Zach Sutera scored on a ground out by Marcos Alvarez.
Binstock continued his huge offensive outburst, finishing 3-for-4 with two more home runs and four RBI. In the two games, Binstock batted 7-for-9 with a double, four home runs, 12 RBI, and scored seven runs. He had one home run and 13 RBI in 72 at bats entering Friday.
Pilat was a perfect 3-for-3, scoring two and driving in two. Pete Pennylegion was 2-for-3, as was Taichi Sasaki, who added three RBI. Eleven Jimmies combined for the team’s 17 hits.
Having each spot in the Jamestown lineup get good looks at the plate helped the team, according to Binstock.
“It loosens the mood and makes everyone more confident, which is one big key to our success lately.”
LIke Thometz in the opener, starting pitcher Shane Groth (SR/Sisters, OR) was the beneficiary of some extraordinary run support. Groth went the first six innings for the win, improving to 5-1. He allowed two runs on four hits, striking out three and walking three.
Tyler Stading (0-2) took the loss for Dakota State. He lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing 10 runs, six earned, on 11 hits. Stading walked three and struck out four.
Odlum was 2-for-3 to lead the Trojans. Drummond, Alvarez, and Derek Degnan also had hits for DSU (4-26, 4-15 NSAA).
Jamestown head coach Tom Hager was pleased with what his team did at the plate as well as what the starting pitchers did on the mound.
“Binstock had an incredible day today, and the rest of our lineup fed off of him,” Hager said. “We had a lot of guys produce offensively for us and they were fun to watch. Thometz and Groth gave us quality starts and both really settled in later in the game. This was a great day for Jimmie baseball.”
Day two of the triangular begins at 12:00 p.m. with Dakota State and Viterbo. Viterbo and Jamestown will play at 2:30 p.m., and Dakota State and Jamestown have the final game at 5:00 p.m.