DICKINSON, N.D. – Dean Samuel delivered a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift La Sierra past Jamestown 4-3 on Friday in the North Star Athletic Association tournament loser’s bracket at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark.
The win improved La Sierra to 20-19 on the season and kept the Golden Eagles alive in the postseason, while the Jimmies ended their year at 32-18 overall.
La Sierra and Jamestown each collected 10 hits, and both teams battled through scoring droughts following a flurry of mid-game offense. With the game tied 3-3 heading to the final frame, La Sierra’s Gavin Copeland led off with a single, and Trevor Smentek came on to pinch run. After Christian Navarro was hit by a pitch and Colin Mitchell returned to run at first, the Golden Eagles advanced runners with a wild pitch and loaded the bases after Bobby Benavidez was also hit by a pitch. Samuel then singled to center to bring home the winning run and send La Sierra into the next round of the NSAA tournament.
Samuel finished the game 2-for-5 with four RBIs, including a pivotal three-run home run in the third inning that erased a 1-0 Jamestown lead. His long ball scored Smentek and Benavidez, putting La Sierra in front 3-1.
Jamestown struck first in the opening inning as Ryan Muizelaar delivered a two-out RBI single to score Chase Burke. Muizelaar, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, continued his strong postseason with a run-scoring single in the fifth that brought home Landon Runge and cut La Sierra’s lead to 3-2.
In the sixth, the Jimmies tied the game after Triston Madison singled and was replaced by pinch runner Dallas Cummins, a throwing error and wild pitch helped move him to third. Runge grounded out to first, allowing Cummins to score the tying run, unearned.
Jamestown starter Avery Liestman gave the Jimmies a strong chance to win with a 7.2-inning outing, scattering eight hits while striking out seven and allowing three runs. Ben Bohlmann came on in the eighth and took the loss (2-4), yielding the game-winning run in the ninth.
La Sierra’s Ryan Cole worked eight full innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits while striking out five. Nico Masucci (4-1) pitched a clean ninth and earned the win in relief.
Defensively, Jamestown played error-free baseball, while La Sierra committed two miscues, but the Golden Eagles were able to pitch around both.
Runge and Madison each finished with two hits for the Jimmies, and Ben Patton added a pair of singles as well. Jamestown stranded four runners and saw two key outs on the bases, including a pair of caught stealings and one out at third.
Copeland led La Sierra with a 2-for-4 day and Smentek scored two runs in his role as a pinch runner. Mitchell, Amaro, Gibbs, Chavez and Leon each added a hit for the Golden Eagles, who left six on base.
The loss ends the season for the Jimmies and marks their second one-run defeat in the NSAA tournament.