May 3—DICKINSON, N.D. — The No. 1-seeded University of Jamestown softball team is headed to the conference championship game after a 5-1 win over No. 2-seeded Dickinson State University in the North Star Athletic Association Tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 3, at the Blue Hawks’ Bravera Field.
The Jimmies (34-15) opened the scoring in the fourth inning when they led off with a single and then Maddie Spaeth hit a run-scoring triple to give her team a 1-0 lead. She was then immediately brought home by a Kayla Quintanilla single to push the lead out to 2-0.
The Blue Hawks (29-15) got one run back in the top of the sixth to make it 2-1 and they had a chance to tie the game up when they got an extra life after an inning ending fly out was erased thanks to the hitter, Alyssa Farrington, calling time before the pitch was delivered with a runner on third. However, the Jimmies starter Hope Ransome responded to get Farrington to fly out once again and keep the score right where it was.
“A ball got out of the bullpen right before the girl hit it and so supposedly they called time,” Jimmies head coach Kevin Gall said. “It was a goofy deal there, there were three goofy plays in that inning, play there at third where it could’ve gone either way and then the timeout and I think there was a play at first base as well. It was just a weird inning. She’s (Ransome) a sophomore but she continues to put up numbers and … it’s just a nice problem to have when you can just call a pitch and she throws it there. She remained calm.”
The Jimmies responded with a big bottom of the sixth punctuated by a Kaitlin McCartney three-run shot to give the top seed a four run lead.
On the bump, Ransome went 6.1 giving up one run on four hits while striking out two hitters and walking three hitters. She was relieved by Maddie Hairgrove who got the final two outs of the game to send the Jimmies to the championship game. The hosts turned to Ava Jahner who went 6.0, giving up five runs on nine hits while striking out one and not walking any Jimmies.
The Jimmies win sends them to the conference championship game for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
“I told them we gotta win one before we lose two. I think you say just to take the pressure off,” Gall said. “Everybody’s got a loss in the tournament except us so we get to sit back and let them battle it out and then we get the winner with the well-rested staff.”
Through the Jimmies’ first two games of the conference tournament, Hairgrove’s 0.2 innings stand as the only time Gall has gone to his bullpen.
“You can look at it two ways either you’re well rested or you haven’t been in the fire yet,” Gall said. “So we’re just gonna keep leaning on the positive thoughts and taking it one inning at a time.”
The Jimmies are back in action at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, when they face off against the winner of the game between Valley City State and Mayville State.
DSU 1, UJ 5
DSU: 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 — 1 4 0
UJ: 0 0 0 2 0 3 X — 5 9 1
WP: Hope Ransome (12-7), LP: Ava Jahner (9-2)
DICKINSON, N.D. — The No. 1-seeded University of Jamestown softball team is headed to the conference championship game after a 5-1 win over No. 2-seeded Dickinson State University in the North Star Athletic Association Tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 3, at the Blue Hawks’ Bravera Field.
The Jimmies (34-15) opened the scoring in the fourth inning when they led off with a single and then Maddie Spaeth hit a run-scoring triple to give her team a 1-0 lead. She was then immediately brought home by a Kayla Quintanilla single to push the lead out to 2-0.
The Blue Hawks (29-15) got one run back in the top of the sixth to make it 2-1 and they had a chance to tie the game up when they got an extra life after an inning ending fly out was erased thanks to the hitter, Alyssa Farrington, calling time before the pitch was delivered with a runner on third. However, the Jimmies starter Hope Ransome responded to get Farrington to fly out once again and keep the score right where it was.
“A ball got out of the bullpen right before the girl hit it and so supposedly they called time,” Jimmies head coach Kevin Gall said. “It was a goofy deal there, there were three goofy plays in that inning, play there at third where it could’ve gone either way and then the timeout and I think there was a play at first base as well. It was just a weird inning. She’s (Ransome) a sophomore but she continues to put up numbers and … it’s just a nice problem to have when you can just call a pitch and she throws it there. She remained calm.”
The Jimmies responded with a big bottom of the sixth punctuated by a Kaitlin McCartney three-run shot to give the top seed a four run lead.
On the bump, Ransome went 6.1 giving up one run on four hits while striking out two hitters and walking three hitters. She was relieved by Maddie Hairgrove who got the final two outs of the game to send the Jimmies to the championship game. The hosts turned to Ava Jahner who went 6.0, giving up five runs on nine hits while striking out one and not walking any Jimmies.
The Jimmies win sends them to the conference championship game for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
“I told them we gotta win one before we lose two. I think you say just to take the pressure off,” Gall said. “Everybody’s got a loss in the tournament except us so we get to sit back and let them battle it out and then we get the winner with the well-rested staff.”
Through the Jimmies’ first two games of the conference tournament, Hairgrove’s 0.2 innings stand as the only time Gall has gone to his bullpen.
“You can look at it two ways either you’re well rested or you haven’t been in the fire yet,” Gall said. “So we’re just gonna keep leaning on the positive thoughts and taking it one inning at a time.”
The Jimmies are back in action at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, when they face off against the winner of the game between Valley City State and Mayville State.
DSU 1, UJ 5
DSU: 0 0 0 0 0 1 0–1 4 0
UJ: 0 0 0 2 0 3 X–5 9 1
WP: Hope Ransome (12-7), LP: Ava Jahner (9-2)
