Blue Jays Roundup: Baseball, softball headed to state qualifiers

Katie Ringer, The Jamestown Sun, N.D.
·3 min read

May 28—In a do-or-die situation Friday afternoon, the Jamestown High School baseball team did.

The result?

An opportunity to make it back to the state tournament for the first time since 2017.

Jamestown faced and defeated Bismarck St. Mary's 6-2 in the WDA tournament loser-out game. With the win the Jays will advance to a state-qualifying game on Saturday at noon. Jamestown will face the loser of the Minot/Legacy semifinal tilt.

Jamestown put runners on the bags right away in the first, with its first-six batters reaching base. Connor Hoyt, the Jays' leading hitter Friday, drove in courtesy runner Tyson Jorrison off a double, to break the ice and give the Jays the advantage. After another double drilled by Jackson Walters, Payton Hochhalter drove in both Walters and Hoyt to make it 3-0, bringing up a Saints pitching change.

It didn't do much good as a stout Blue Jay defense, headed up Mason Lunzman on the mound, kept things scoreless until the top of the sixth when St. Mary's nabbed a couple on a Jamestown error.

Lunzman has been out of the Jays' lineup for nearly a month, but the junior showed no ill effects as he threw for six innings and allowed just four hits and two runs. The lefty also struck out seven Saint batters en route to the win. Jamestown turned to the bullpen in the seventh. Thomas Newman shut the door to keep the season alive for the Blue Jays.

Hoyt was the leader at the plate Friday, going 3-4, driving in a pair and notching two doubles. Jamestown outhit St. Mary's 9-4.

Jamestown 6, St. Mary's 2

SM 000 002 0 — 2 4 2

JHS 400 110 X — 6 9 1

JHS: Mason Lunzman, Thomas Newman (7); SM: Matt Porter. W — Lunzman; L — Porter

Highlights: JHS — Lunzman (6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 7 K, 0 BB), 1-3, 2B; Connor Hoyt 3-4, 2 RBI, 2 2B; Jackson Walters 1-4, 2B; Reagan Sortland 1-1, 2B; Payton Hochhalter 1-4, 2 RBI, 2B; Carson Orr 1-2, 2B.

SM — Connor Schatz 1-3, Casey Fischer 1-2, Harry Mercer 1-3, Harrison Reichert 1-1.

Both teams were strong on the rubber on Friday, but Dickinson was just a little bit stronger at the plate in a victory over the Blue Jays.

The WDA semifinal marked the third time the Jays and Midgets met this spring. Previously the Midgets topped the Jays, 9-5, 9-4 and 13-1, 11-3. Jamestown kept the defending state champs scoreless through six and a half, but a lucky poke from Baylee Berg sent Kali Kubas home and sent the Midgets back to their second-straight WDA title game.

Jamestown will go on to compete for a state tournament berth on Saturday.

Katie Falk started the game for Blue Jays and recorded 20 outs in the circle. The righthander lasted six and two-thirds innings, allowing seven hits and one run while walking zero.

Mataya Mortensen was the winning pitcher for Dickinson. The fireballer surrendered zero runs on two hits over three innings, striking out two and walking one. Ava Jahner threw four innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Rylee Joseph and Torrie Mack were the game leaders at the plate, each collecting one hit.

Dickinson scattered seven hits in the game. Amy Fridley and Baylee Berg both managed multiple hits for Dickinson and out in the field the defense remained flawless.

Jamestown committed one error out in the field.

Dickinson 1, Jamestown 0

JHS 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

DHS 000 000 1 — 1 7 0

JHS: Katie Falk; DHS: Mortenson, Jahner (4). W — Mortenson; L — Falk

Highlights: JHS — Falk (6.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB), Rylee Joseph 1-3, Torrie Mack 1-3.

DHS — Fridley 2-3; Berg 2-3, RBI; Taya Hopfauf 1-3, 2B.