Tarnos use big hits by Hoyt and Pugh to beat Redbirds 6-5
Aug. 13—JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Tarnos repeat attempt looked to be on the ropes, trailing the Carrington Redbirds 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth. That all changed in the bottom of the fifth as the Tarnos got a 6-5 win on Saturday, Aug. 13, at Jack Brown Stadium.
"I think most of our fight just comes from us being majority older and knowing that it's only gonna take one or two innings, and not having to stress over the first half and letting the second half play itself out," Pugh said.
The Tarnos got one in the bottom of the first on one hit, with the run scoring on a sacrifice fly to make it a 1-0 game.
The Redbirds took the lead in the top of the second on an Isaac Mimong single to go out in front 2-1. Mimong was not the only Jimmie to help out the Redbirds as in the third inning, Hayden Brown lined a solo home run over the wall in right field to stretch his team's lead out to 3-1.
The Tarnos tied the game up in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a double from Danny Fischer and a Connor Hoyt bloop single to make it 4-4.
"It felt really good," Hoyt said. "I was 0-for, for the day before that so the pressure was kind of getting to me so I took a deep breath before I went in the box and just waited for my pitch. It was 2-2, he was kind of starting to struggle with the slider so I knew I was gonna get a fastball on the outside. He's been working me outside all day, so I knew just hunt fastball outside and that's what I got."
The Tarnos kept it going in the bottom of the sixth when Alex Alva reached on an error before a Ryder Lunzman single moved him to third. The next batter was Aaron Pugh who doubled off the wall in right to score two runs and push the Tarnos out in front 6-5.
"To be honest with you I was just trying to put it in play and made good contact, that's about it," Pugh said. "I was just trying to throw it to the right side and try to score at least one run and it turned out better than I planned."
The Redbirds would not go down without a fight though as Brady Anderson hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to 6-5.
The Redbirds stranded seven runners on base in the loss, while the Tarnos stranded four.
Pugh is one of many former Jimmies participating in the tournament. In the first two games, Pugh has gone 1-for-2 at the plate, while also pitching 2.0 innings, while giving up one run.
"It's always fun," Pugh said. "It's competitive but it's always that fun aspect, guys out here having fun, playing the game. It's nice to be competitive, it's nice to win but at the end of the day it's more of getting out, having fun, and if you win you win kind of thing. I mean losing sucks but winning is a lot better."
The Tarnos starter Ryan Iliff went six innings giving up four runs, striking out five, and giving up nine hits. The Redbirds starter Kyle Leapaldt went six innings, giving up five earned runs while striking out five and giving up six hits.
The Tarnos move on to the championship game at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14, where they take on the winner of the game between Valley City and Enderlin.
CRB 5, JT 6
CRB: 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 — 5 11 1
JT: 1 0 0 0 3 2 X — 6 6 0
WP: Ryan Iliff LP: Kyle Leapaldt
