WAYNE, NE – The final game of 2026 Jamestown Jimmies Baseball went like many others: a big inning by the opponent, then a Jimmie rally falling short.

Wayne State took the lead with five runs in the second inning, then held on to defeat Jamestown Saturday 7-4 at the Pete Chapman Baseball/Softball Complex.

The Wildcats (29-21, 21-16 NSIC) clinched the fifth seed for next week’s NSIC tournament and took control of the game with their big second inning.  In it, Braden Cannon tied the game with an RBI single, then Noah Strizek lifted a sacrifice fly for a 3-2 WSC lead.  Cam Madsen hit an RBI single, Gabe Monosmith slammed a run-scoring triple and Nate Cunningham produced an RBI single for a 6-2 Wayne State lead.

Jamestown (13-36, 8-28) had single runs in the sixth on an RBI pinch-single by Frankie Malagon and an RBI double by Carlos Maldonado in the seventh, his second run-scoring double of the game.  UJ was within 6-4.

Wayne State scored an insurance run in the home seventh.  Brayden Chaney scored on a throwing error by the Jimmies’ Benney Benitez after Chaney stole third.

Maldonado’s first RBI double gave the Jimmies a 1-0 lead in a two-run first inning.  Ben Swennumson doubled the lead with an RBI groundout.

Madsen put Wayne State on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI groundout.

Kai Mayfield (0-1), pitching his final game as a Jimmie just over two and a half hours away from his hometown, allowed five runs and six hits in three and two-thirds innings.  Ben Patton, also in his last UJ game, gave up just one run in three and two-thirds innings of relief.