The Jimmie women's bats were banging in Montana on Friday.
Following 12 days away from the diamond, the Jimmie softball team apparently kept their sticks insulated from the rash of cold weather locally, rifling off 32 hits and scoring 24 runs in a pair of victories in Great Falls.
A 12-run bottom of the third by Jamestown College torpedoed Mayville State University's chances, as the Jimmies sunk the Comets 16-6 in five innings. After that, the Jimmies hung five runs on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth to defeat the University of Great Falls 8-3 in extra frames.
Notable performances for the Jimmies on the day were aplenty. Slugging senior Kate Johnson belted a homer in each game, going 3-for-7 with four RBIs and two runs scored in the pair of contests.
Senior Sarah Heinemann also homered in both games for Jamestown College, as she went 4-for-7 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Johnson is batting a team-leading .456 with five homers and 19 RBIs this season, while Heinemann improved to .385 with four home runs and a team-leading 20 RBIs.
Senior outfielder Allison Roper (.344, 17 RBIs) went 6-for-9 at the plate in the two games with a pair of doubles, five RBIs and three runs scored. The Jimmies' Kelsie DeBroeck (5), Celene Eccles (4) and Courtney Van Den Bussche (4) each collected four or more hits on the day.
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JC 16, Mayville State 6
The Comets (3-12) were able to score three times early off the Jimmies' DJ Johnson, as Jamestown College clung to a 4-3 advantage after two innings.
But the flood gates opened in the third with the Jimmies crossing the plate 12 times to put the game to bed. A total of seven Jimmies collected two or more hits, led by Roper's 4-for-4, two-double, 4-RBI performance.
DeBroeck (2-for-2) and Eccles (3-for-3) also went perfect at the dish, helping the Jimmies eliminate a three-game losing streak. DJ Johnson allowed three more runs in the top of the fourth but did pick up the victory, allowing six earned runs on eight hits, while striking out five and walking three.
The Jimmies' Mandy Theissen pitched a flawless top of the fifth to close the door. Mayville State was led by Katrina Newman, who went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs.
Jamestown College 16, Mayville State Univ. 6
MSU 210 30 — 6 8 3
JC 40(12) 0x — 16 19 0
Kati Rieu, Rachel Koopman (3) and Jamie Scott. DJ Johnson, Mandy Theissen (5) and Kristi Michaud. WP—Johnson. LP—Koopman. 2B—JC, Hattie Fuller, Allison Roper (2), Rachel Ivelia; MSU, Courtney Priddie. 3B—JC, Courtney Van Den Bussche. HR—JC, Michad, Kate Johnson, Sarah Heinemann.
Records: Jamestown College 11-10; Mayville State University 3-12.
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JC 8, Great Falls 6
Heinemann smacked her second home run of the day on the first pitch she saw in the seventh inning, and boy was it a big one.
The solo blast to center field with nobody on and two outs in the final inning of play tied the Jimmies with the Argos at 3-all, and then all of a sudden, Jamestown College came to life.
Emily Snow pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh and the Jimmies responded with five runs in the top of the eighth for their 12th victory of the season. Eccles got the scoring started in extra frames with an RBI single. She'd later score on a fielder's choice that came after a wild pitch from Great Falls' Keeley Van Blaricom, which scored DeBroeck.
The Argos were in search of their 20th win of the season, but they fell to 19-12.
Snow, in a solid performance, went all eight innings in the circle for the Jimmies. She allowed just the three earned runs on seven hits, while striking out seven and giving up two walks. Snow (6-4) faced 32 batters and tossed 112 pitches.
DeBroeck went 3-for-4 in the game, while Van Den Bussche, Roper, Rachel Ivelia and Heinemann each collected a pair of hits. Van Blaricom shouldered the loss, but she led Great Falls at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Jamestown College 8, Univ. of Great Falls (Mont.) 3
JC 000 01 15 — 8 13 1
UGF 000 021 00 — 3 7 4
Emily Snow and Megan Heriot. Brittani Clifford, Keeley Van Blaricom (8) and Samantha Kramer. WP—Snow. LP—Van Blaricom. 2B—UGF, Van Blaricom. HR—UGF, Alyse Sifuentes; JC, Kate Johnson, Sarah Heinemann. SB—UGF, Van Blaricom (2), Kelli O'Brien.
Records: Jamestown College 12-10; University of Great Falls 19-12.
Courtesy of Jamestown Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja, 4/20/13
