WAYNE, NE – There were two more games that Jamestown Jimmies Baseball had chances to win. And, again, they won neither.
Wayne State clinched an NSIC Tournament bid Friday with two wins over Jamestown, 4-2 and 6-5 at the Pete Chapman Baseball/Softball Complex.
Game 1: Wayne State 4, Jamestown 2
Paul Schuyler drove in two runs for Wayne State (27-21, 19-16 NSIC), one with a go-ahead squeeze bunt in the fourth inning and another with a sacrifice fly in a two-run sixth.
Korey Cozad brought in the other run in the sixth with a double.
Jamestown (13-34, 8-26) scored first for the third game in a row with a Melvin Maldonado RBI double in the first inning. The Jimmies didn’t score again until Julian Romero drove in a run with a ground ball in the seventh inning. Then, Ben Swennumson, who had three hits earlier, was batting as the tying run when Mason Shea was thrown out stealing to end the game.
UJ had numerous chances, outhitting WSC 11 to 6 and having at least one hit in every inning. However, the Jimmies were just two of 14 with runners in scoring position.
Peyton Hochhalter (1-4) lost despite pitching his second consecutive complete game. He allowed four runs and six hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Game 2: Wayne State 6, Jamestown 5
Wayne State (28-21, 20-16 NSIC) rallied with three in the bottom of the eighth to complete the sweep. Schuyler tied the game at 5-5 with a two-run double. Cozad followed with a go-ahead RBI single.
In the top of the eighth, Jamestown (13-35, 8-27) had put together a four-run rally to take the lead, helped by two Wildcat errors. Maldonado walked with the bases loaded, Swennumson, who again had three hits, hit an RBI single, Shea drew a bases loaded walk to put Jamestown ahead 4-3 and Grant Chapman hit an RBI ground ball.
Ben Bohlmann (0-5) lost, giving up three runs in a third of an inning. Starter Isaac Hanson lasted five and a third innings, giving up three runs and four hits with five walks.
Jamestown’s first Division II baseball season will end Saturday at Wayne State. Coverage will begin at 11:45 AM on The Voice of the Jimmies, Jamestown 107.1.