DICKINSON, N.D.—The University of Jamestown softball team advanced to Sunday's North Star Athletic Association championship game after defeating Dickinson State (N.D.) University 5-1 Saturday afternoon at Bravera Field.
The Jimmies improve to 34-15 overall and will face Valley City State (N.D.) in Sunday's championship game. The Blue Hawks drop to 29-16 following the loss to UJ and a 3-2 loss in eight innings to VCSU in Saturday evening's loser-out contest. VCSU staved off elimination Saturday afternoon with a 17-3 six-inning win over Mayville State (N.D.)
With the scored tied 0-0 going into the bottom of the fourth, the Jimmies broke through with a pair of runs.
Lauren Weigel led off with a walk and came home on a triple by
Maddie Spaeth.
Kayla Quintanilla followed with a single to score Spaeth, giving UJ a 2-0 lead.
Dickinson State rallied to score once in the top of the sixth. Celina Wilharm reached on a one-out walk, and pinch-hitter Brooke Lijewski came through with a double to score Wilharm. Lijewski advanced to third after Bailey Hansen grounded out to short, but
Hope Ransome left Lijewski on the bases after getting Allyson Farrington to fly out to left.
Jamestown added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. After Quintanilla singled and
Natalie Draper reached on a fielder's choice, Kaitlyn McCartney homered to deep left field to make it 5-1 in favor of the Jimmies.
Ransome, who shut out Valley City State on Friday on just 54 pitches in six innings, worked into the seventh, retiring Kiley Hubby for the first out. Cassidy Venner reached on an error and was replaced by pinch-runner Jessica Duggan. Duggan stole second before Ashlee Potter was hit by a pitch to give the Blue Hawks runners at first and second.
Maddie Hairgrove came on in relief and got the final two outs, sending the Jimmies to a conference championship game for the first time since 2019.
The win pushed Ransome's record to 11-7, and her final pitching line included 6 1/3 innings, four hits, one run, two walks, and two strikeouts.
Ava Jahner (9-2) went the distance for Dickinson State, allowing five runs on nine hits, with one strikeout.
The trio of Spaeth, Draper, and Quintanilla each went 2-for-3 at the plate, and McCartney, Spaeth, and Quintanilla drove in all five Jimmie runs.
Sunday's championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Central/12 p.m. Mountain at Bravera Field in Dickinson, with the "if necessary" game to follow at 3 p.m. CT/2 p.m. MT.
