After two days in Arizona, the picture is beginning to come into focus for Jamestown College head softball coach Kevin Gall and the Jimmies.
The Jimmies have got their season off to a 3-1 start at this week's Tucson Invitational Games. Jamestown College picked up victories over Purdue North Central (Ind.) and Dordt College on Tuesday, after defeating Mount Marty and falling to Park University (Kan.) on Monday.
"We can be difficult outs at times offensively, but then at other times we are not taking advantage of pitchers' mistakes," Gall said. "We've let some balls come right across the middle of the plate … so we could be a little bit more aggressive."
The coach also said that the Jimmie bats have been struggling at times with pop-ups and weak ground balls, but the main focus in the early-going is securing the team's defensive play.
"Defensively, we've struggle at times," Gall said. "We need to shore up defensively and make some adjustments there, and that's going to come from playing more games and overcoming a few mental things to get things fixed."
Jamestown College returns to the field today in Tucson where they'll face Avila University (2-2) and Bethany College (5-6).
"We've got to worry about just playing better and doing the things we can to give people problems."
JC 15, Purdue 3
Junior Courtney Van Den Bussche held the big bat for Jamestown College as the Jimmies 8-run ruled the Purdue North Central (Ind.) Panthers after five innings on Tuesday.
The Portage la Prairie, Manitoba native unloaded for a bases-loaded triple to bring home three runs in an 8-run second inning by the Jimmies. Jamestown College led 8-2 after two a never looked back.
From the nine-hole in the lineup, Van Den Bussche went 3-for-4 with two runs and five RBIs. She also collected one of the Jimmies' three stolen bases in the game.
"She's a junior for us, and she's a lot different player now than when she was a freshman and we are hoping to continue to get good at-bats there from her," Gall said. "It's a sign of progress. She's a contact hitter and hit it just right over the outfielder's head."
DJ Johnson improved to 2-0 on the year from the circle. The Jimmie senior hurler struck on five and allowed just one earned run on seven hits and a walk. The Panthers did jump out to a 2-0 lead on the Jimmies after the first.
"It has taken an inning to get her settled down in her first two starts," Gall said. "She's probably trying to be a little too fancy with her pitches. We just need her to stay consistent and do what works."
Jamestown College banged out 15 hits in all. Senior catcher Janelle Spear went 3-for-3 with two runs and a pair of RBIs, while senior Celene Eccles went 1-for-3 and also drove in two from the leadoff spot. The Jimmies clubbed four doubles in the game, with senior Kristi Michaud collecting two of them as part of a 2-for-2 performance.
Also impacting the Jimmies offense was senior Rachel Ivelia, who scored twice and drove in two after going 1-for-3 at the plate. The Panthers committed five errors in the game.
JC 8, Dordt 4
The Dordt College Defenders didn't do a great job of making Jamestown College work in the early going, and it nearly cost the Jimmies.
But after being tied at 4-4, a three-run bottom of the fifth for Jamestown College — which saw freshman Autumn Wang step up and produce a clutch 2-RBI single to break things open — sent the Jimmies off the field with victory No. 2 on the day.
Wang, a Devils Lake native, came into the game an inning earlier as a pinch runner and finished going 1-for-1 at the plate.
"It's not the best type of situation you want to put a freshman in, you know, the key point of the game," Gall said. "But she just picked out a pitch and put a good swing on it and drove in two runs. It was nice to see a freshman do that."
The Jimmies hung four runs on the board in the opening inning, and led 4-0 after one. But senior Kelsie DeBroeck did the only real damage with an RBI single.
The Jimmies' other three runs of the inning came on bases-loaded walks given up by Dordt starter Brittany Kookier.
"You really like to score four runs in the first inning, but we didn't do anything to hurt them," Gall said. "If they are just going to give us runs, then I guess we don't have to work for them and that kind of bit us in the butt because they came back and tied the game."
DeBroeck finished the game going 1-for-2 with two RBIS. Both teams ended with just four hits.
Junior Emily Snow pitched all seven innings for the Jimmies, allowing one earned run and striking out seven. The Jimmies had five stolen bases in the game, with Eccles and Hattie Fullmer each swiping a pair.
JC 11, Mount Marty 3
The Jimmies hung 11 runs on the board in their season-opener on Monday.
After being held scoreless in their first two at bats, Jamestown College scored six in the third, two in the fourth and three in the fifth to end it early.
The middle of the JC lineup did lots of damage.
Kate Johnson was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in the clean-up spot. Three-hole hitter Sarah Heinemann went 2-for-3 and clubbed a 2-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to end it.
Rachel Ivelia added three hits and two RBIs. Kelsie DeBroeck and Allison Roper were each 2-for-3.
D.J. Johnson allowed three runs in the first inning to Mount Marty, but nothing over the final four frames.
Park 5, JC 1
The well went dry in Game 2.
After banging out 15 hits in the opener, the Jimmies were limited to only two in the nightcap, both singles.
Emily Snow was saddled with the loss, allowing five runs, three of which were earned.
At Tucson, Ariz.
Monday's games
Jamestown College 11, Mount Marty 3
Mount Marty 300 00 — 3 6 3
Jamestown College 006 23 — 11 15 1
Jessica Finch, Katie Groteluschen (4) and Gabi Cardenas. D.J. Johnson and Janelle Spear. W—Johnson (1-0). L—Finch. 2B—Kate Johnson 2, Sarah Heinemann, Spear, Allison Roper. HR—JC, Heinemann (1). SB—MM, Rodriguez. JC, Hattie Fullmer.
Park University 5, Jamestown College 1
JC 001 000 0 — 1 2 1
Park 011 030 x — 5 10 2
Emily Snow and Spear. Purtle and Sumner. W—Purtle. L—Snow (0-1).
Tuesday's games
Jamestown College 15, Purdue North Central 3
JC 080 070 — 15 15 3
PNC 200 100 — 3 7 5
DJ Johnson and Janelle Spear. W—Johnson. 2B—JC, Heriot, Ivelia, Michaud 2. SB—JC, Ivelia, Roper, Van den Bussche. 3B—JC, Van den Bussche.
Jamestown College 8, Dordt College 4
DC 003 100 0 — 4 4 3
JC 400 031 x — 8 4 1
Brittany Kookier, Sidney Larsen (1) and Bethany Dykstra. Emily Snow and Sydney Greenlund, Kristi Michaud. W—Snow. L—Larsen. 2B—DC, S. Bolze, Larsen. SB—JC, Eccles 2, Fullmer 2, Ivelia.
courtesy of Jamestown Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja
