FARGO – They’re a hot team at just the right time.
The Jamestown Eagles, after only four AA Legion wins in the regular season, have put together three wins in a big run in the state tournament. A seven-run rally was difference in the third win Thursday, an 11-7 victory over the Grand Forks Royals at Jack Williams Stadium.
Jamestown (17-23) will now play on Friday, needing two wins to advance to the championship round on Saturday.
The Eagles trailed 5-2 before scoring twice in the fourth and seven in the fifth with five hits and the help of four Grand Forks errors.
In the fifth, with Jamestown down 6-4 and after a Braxton Perkins infield hit, Bennet Goehner reached on an error, then a bad throw from the outfield allowed Perkins to score. With one out, a Kale Verke bunt singled loaded the bases on a play where Grand Forks pitcher Ryne Richau slipped on the wet turf.
After two out, Haden Smith delivered the deciding hit, a two-run double to score Nolan Maulding and Goehner and give the Eagles a 7-6 lead. Hudson Rode was hit by a pitch, then Ethan Oettle reached on an error and Verke scored. Perkins smashed his second hit of the inning, but an error brought in Smith. Goehner completed the rally with an RBI single.
Zach Gaiser (2-3), after allowing five runs in the first two innings, settled down. While he allowed 12 hits, he also struck out five.
Matt Dosch had a go-ahead two-run double in a four-run first inning for Grand Forks (19-19). Caden Tostenson had four hits.
On Friday, Jamestown will meet the winner of Thursday’s elimination game between West Fargo and Bismarck. Coverage will begin at around 4:15 PM on Jamestown 107.1.
