GRAND FORKS, ND (NewsDakota.com) Bluejay head coach Tim Ranum said his team wanted to throw the first punch and control the game against Fargo Davies to open up state tournament play Thursday.
The Bluejays did that, but Davies’ bats caught up quickly.
A 2-0 Jamestown lead turned into a 3-2 deficit as the Eagles slapped five hits in their second trip through the order, and eventually ground out a 5-2 win over the Bluejays in the quarterfinals of the NDHSAA State A baseball tournament Thursday night.
Jamestown managed just two hits on the night, while managing to keep the game in striking distance in key moments.
One of those moments came in the third inning with the game tied at 2-2. Second baseman Ethan Oettle ran down a ground ball at the depth of the infield two-thirds of the way to first base, but turned and threw to second to force Davies’ Cayden Neuharth at second.
Shortstop Thomas Newman executed a brilliant turn, and beat batter Gus Werremeyer by a quarter step at first for an eventual double play, a twin killing that was immediately followed by a double off the left field wall from Ashton Rinas. Rinas would later score, giving the Eagles a 3-2 lead, but the double play kept it from being far worse.
But Neuharth and reliever Kade Ohlhauser were too much for the Jays to deal with. Neuharth allowed two hit over 5.1 innings, striking out seven, and Ohlhauser retired five in a row for a 1.2 inning save, striking out three. In all, the Bluejays struck out 10 times.
Bennett Goehner and Braxton Perkins had the Jamestown hits, with Goehner’s single in the first inning the product of fighting off three two-strike pitches to stay alive, finally delivering a flare to left field that scored Kale Verke, who led off the game with a walk.
Oettle would score the other Bluejay run in the second, reaching after being hit by a pitch, taking second on a pass ball, advancing on a ground out, and scoring on a Kaleb Blanchette throwing error when Blanchette, the Eagles catcher, tried to pick Oettle at third, sending a throw into left field.
Jaxon Kolpin took the loss for Jamestown, allowing three runs on five hits in four innings, walking two.
The Bluejays face West Fargo Horace Friday in the consolation semifinals.
