Lancers rally late to defeat Jimmies in GPAC opener
May 7—A University of Jamestown baseball team looking for a spark nearly got one Thursday in Crete, Nebraska.
Senior starting pitcher Dru Fitz tossed seven brilliant innings for the Jimmies to open Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament play facing the Lancers of Mount Marty but ran out of gas leading 1-0 in the eighth.
The Lancers plated four runs in the frame, with the knockout blow coming via a two-run home run off the bat of Mount Marty sophomore catcher Billy Hancock, and the Jimmies need a win Friday to extend their season.
Jamestown fell 4-2 to Mount Marty and will face either Doane or Northwestern tomorrow at noon.
Fitz used 91 pitches to face 28 batters through seven innings, only allowing five hits and a walk with a zero in the score column. But he'd allow the first two batters to reach in the eighth via a single and a walk, with Hancock's homer coming after the Lancers tied the game at 1-1 on one of two UJ errors committed in the game.
Fitz exited the contest without recording an out in the eighth, finishing with five strikeouts in an otherwise solid afternoon on the hill. Cameron Jenkins came on in relief, allowing a solo home run to Colin Muth after recording the first out of the inning on a ground ball as the Lancers went up by three heading into the ninth.
UJ slugger Luke Shekeryk delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the final frame, but the Jimmies lost a fifth straight.
UJ senior shortstop Grant Okawa stroked an RBI single up the middle in the third inning, providing the only offense of the game up until the eighth.
Jamestown's Brice Foster batted 3-for-4 with a double. Mount Marty reliever Jared Bell earned the win, pitching the final four innings and allowing the UJ run in the ninth.
The Lancers (29-17) swept three games from the Jimmies on April 17 at Jack Brown Stadium in Jamestown. Since that series, the Jimmies (28-22) have played to a record of 3-10.
GREAT PLAINS ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
2021 GPAC Baseball Tournament
Mount Marty 4, Jamestown 2
J 001 000 001 — 2 9 2
M 000 000 04x — 4 8 2
Batteries: J, Dru Fitz, Cameron Jenkins (8) and Dirk Eymundson. M, Tyler Preist, Jared Bell (6) and Billy Hancock. W-Bell. L-Fitz.
Highlights: J, Fitz 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO; 114 TP; Jenkins 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO, 7 TP; Grant Okawa 1-3, RBI; Lincoln Trujillo 1-4; Brice Foster 3-4, 2B, R; Tayler Cullen 1-4; Luke Shekeryk 1-1, RBI; Chase Hacker 2-4, R.
M, Preist 5 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO; 79 TP; Bell 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 40 TP; B. Hancock 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R; J. Roemen 3-4, R; C. Koletzky 1-2, BB; C. Muth 2-3, HR, RBI, R.
Records: Mount Marty 29-17. Jamestown 28-22.
Concordia Bracket
Seward, Nebraska
May 6
G1: (5) Briar Cliff 12, (4) Morningside 1
G2: (1) Concordia 12, (8) Hastings 6
May 7
G3: Briar Cliff (33-18) vs. Concordia (35-9), 9 a.m.
G4: Morningside (25-29) vs. Hastings (13-30), noon.
G5: Winner G4 vs. Loser G3, 3 p.m.
May 8
G6: Winner G3 vs. Winner G5, noon.
G7: If necessary (G6 winner/loser), 3 p.m.
Doane Bracket
Crete, Nebraska
May 6
G1: (3) Mount Marty 4 vs. (6) Jamestown 2
G2: (2) Doane 7, (7) Northwestern 6
May 7
G3: Mount Marty (29-17) vs. Doane (32-16-1), 9 a.m.
G4: Jamestown (28-22) vs. Northwestern (19-26), noon.
G5: Winner G4 vs. Loser G3, 3 p.m.
May 8
G6: Winner G3 vs. Winner G5, noon.
G7: If necessary (G6 winner/loser), 3 p.m.
GPAC Baseball Championship Game
May 11
At highest seed, 9 innings
G8: Concordia Bracket Winner vs. Doane Bracket Winner, 3 p.m. (No lights); 6 p.m. (lights).
Note: There is no 10-run rule in the postseason.