DAVENPORT, Fla. – The University of Jamestown baseball team concluded its Florida trip with a hard-fought 6-4 loss to Concordia-St. Paul on Friday afternoon at NE Regional Park.
The Jimmies (3-12, 0-4 NSIC) battled back from an early four-run deficit and brought the tying runs to the basepaths in the ninth inning, but the Golden Bears (5-7, 2-2 NSIC) held on to secure the victory in the neutral-site matchup.
Game Summary
Concordia-St. Paul grabbed the momentum right away, scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning against Jamestown starter Luke Zimmer. Kaden Johnson ignited the offense with a leadoff double and later scored on an RBI single by Charlie Harms. The Golden Bears then capitalized on a double steal, with Harms swiping home to make it 2-0.
CSP extended their lead in the second inning. Nick Carlson led off with a single and stole second. After Will Husemann singled, Johnson delivered an RBI single to score Carlson. Husemann later crossed the plate on a passed ball, pushing the Golden Bears' lead to 4-0.
Jamestown's offense broke through in the top of the fifth inning. Mathieu Morin set the table by singling to center field and stealing second. Adrian Warcken followed with a single to right, moving Morin to third. Trayson Kostial then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Morin and put the Jimmies on the board.
UJ continued to fight back in the top of the sixth. Jett Nelson singled and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches before scoring on an RBI single down the right-field line by Ben Patton. After Ben Swennumson walked and Benney Benitez reached on a fielder's choice, Morin delivered a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Patton and bringing Jamestown within a run at 4-3.
However, Concordia-St. Paul answered immediately in the bottom half of the sixth to regain a comfortable margin. Blake Eckmann doubled and Carlson singled to put runners on the corners. Eli Nelson came through with an RBI single to score Eckmann. During the next at-bat, Johnson reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, allowing Carlson to score and extending the lead to 6-3.
In the top of the ninth, the Jimmies mounted a final rally. Pinch-hitter Dallas Cummins led off with a triple to right field. After a one-out walk to Frankie Malagon, Nelson ripped an RBI single to left field, scoring Cummins and cutting the deficit to 6-4. With two runners on, the Golden Bears brought in reliever Justin Benjamin, who secured a strikeout and a game-ending fielder's choice to earn the save.
Top Performers
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Jett Nelson (UJ): 2-for-4, RBI, R, BB
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Mathieu Morin (UJ): 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB, SB, SF
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Trayson Kostial (UJ): 1-for-5, RBI, BB, SF
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Dallas Cummins (UJ): 1-for-1, 3B, R
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Kaden Johnson (CSP): 2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB
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Charlie Harms (CSP): 2-for-4, RBI, R, SB
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Nick Carlson (CSP): 2-for-4, 2 R, SB
Pitching Lines
Luke Zimmer (0-3) started and took the loss for Jamestown, tossing 5 1/3 innings and allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits while striking out three. The Jimmie bullpen was effective in keeping the game within reach, as Elias Harris, Beckett Stimpson, and Grayson Sargent combined to throw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Sam Kennedy (1-0) earned the win for Concordia-St. Paul, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing three earned runs on seven hits. Cole Newell provided 3.1 innings of solid relief, and Justin Benjamin recorded the final two outs to pick up the save.
The Jimmies and Golden Bears resume their series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. Central.
