UPDATED with Thursday opponent, broadcast info
WILLISTON – After a miss of last year’s Class A state baseball tournament, the Jamestown Blue Jays set the goal of returning to state. They achieved it with emphasis on Saturday.
Jamestown broke open a tight game with three runs in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth and breezed to a 9-2 win over Williston in a state qualifying game of the Class A West Region tournament at Williston State College’s Phil Rabon Field.
Jaxon Kolpin and Cody Busch each drove in two runs. Thomas Newman pitched a three-hitter, had two hits and two walks at the plate and stole four bases. Overall, the Blue Jays swiped eight.
After Jamestown (17-10) stranded three runners in the first two innings, Newman’s running helped the Jays to a 1-0 lead in the third inning. He beat out an infield hit, stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kolpin.
Williston (18-9) tied the game in the top of the fourth. Bridger Johnson tripled, then scored on a wild pitch.
Jamestown answered back in their half of the fourth. After one out, Ethan Oettle singled and stole second. Braxton Perkins singled Oettle in for a 2-1 Blue Jay advantage. Edison Walters doubled in Perkins, who scored all the way from first. An error advanced Walters to third, then Cody Busch plated him with a sacrifice fly.
The Blue Jays snatched complete control of the game in the fifth when they sent 11 batters to the plate. Newman walked, stole his fourth base, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Kolpin single. Bennet Goehner singled Kolpin to second, then they executed a double steal. Oettle hit a sacrifice fly, an error scored the third run, a bases loaded walk to Busch scored the fourth, and a wild pitch brought home the fifth.
Newman (2-0) struck out seven, walked three and hit a batter.
Jamestown will open its third state tournament appearance in four years on Thursday in a quarterfinal game against Fargo Davies at Kraft Field in Grand Forks. Coverage will begin Thursday at approximately 6:15 PM on The Voice of the Blue Jays, Jamestown 107.1. Jamestown split a home doubleheader with Davies during the regular season.