April 29, 2018
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Nationally-ranked No. 16 Jamestown (N.D.) poured in 23 runs and pound out 21 hits Sunday evening, rolling past Dakota State (S.D.) 23-8 in the North Star Athletic Association Baseball Triangular at Jack Brown Stadium. It was the regular-season finale game for both teams.
Dakota State is 4-30 overall record and 4-19 North Star conference record. Jamestown is 39-7 overall record and 16-6 record in league play.
The Jimmies put together a total of 11 runs in the first two-and-half innings to take an 11-0 lead.
DSU, who was the 'home team' in the game, scored its first run of the game in the bottom third frame. Dyshawn Proudlove led off with a single, followed by Fabian Boria's walk to advance Proudlove to second base. Alec Gannon hit an RBI single to score Proudlove as the Trojans trailed 11-1.
Jamestown plated four runs in the top fourth inning to widen their lead to 15-1, highlighted by Jared Berard's 3-run home run. The Jimmies added four runs in the top fifth to make it 20-1 lead.
The Trojans produced four runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Brock Stein led off with a single. Gannon and Zach Sutera followed up with back-to-back walks to set up a bases loaded situation for DSU.
Samuel Drummond recorded an RBI fielder's choice to score Stein as Dakota State cut UJ's lead to 20-2 in the bottom fifth. Gannon scored off from Jimmies' wild pitch (DSU trailed 20-3). Derek Degnan added an RBI ground out to score Sutera, followed by Hayden Klibbe's RBI single to score Drummond as the Trojans trimmed Jamestown's lead to 20-5.
Taichi Sasaki hit a 3-run home run in the top sixth to make it 23-5 in favor of the Jimmies.
DSU scored three runs in the final inning. Sutera and Degnan each reached on base by a walk. A wild pitch by the Jimmies allowed Sutera and Degnan advance one base. Smith Kemper hit an RBI single to score Sutera, while Dyshawn Proudlove hit a 2-RBI double to reduce their deficit to 23-8.
The Trojans left a runner on base when the game ended, sealing the victory for the Jimmies.
Proudlove finished the game by going 2-of-4 with a double, single and drove in two RBIs for Dakota State. Klibbe and Smith each added two singles and an RBI. Gannon collected a hit and an RBI. Drummond and Degnan each tallied an RBI. Sutera reached on base by a walk two times.
Jamestown hit four home runs and five doubles in the game. Kaleb Binstock led the team with three hits and four RBIs. Drake Pilat added three hits and three RBIs. Zach Zurbrugg and Scooter Turin each had two hits and two RBIs. Sasaki had a home run and three RBIs. Kory Wolden swiped two bases.
DSU's Drummond (L, 0-1) recorded the defeat on the pitching mound after working for two innings. Micah DeHarty, Kyle Grant and Jalen Boyd also pitched in relief.
Cole Torgerson (W, 2-0) earned the win after tossing four-plus innings for the Jimmies. Marshal Burgess and Saige Tyndall each pitched in relief.
Dakota State prepares for the North Star Athletic Association Baseball Conference Postseason Tournament this Friday in Valley City, N.D. The eighth-seeded Trojans will take on the top overall seed Mayville State (N.D.) in the opening round. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Charlie Brown Stadium.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
