They’ll have nine innings to prove it was worth it.

The second-seeded Tarp Skunks (29-14) — who set a record for most wins in a season since Jamestown Community Baseball LLC purchased the franchise in 2019 — will play host to No. 3 Niagara Falls (30-16) with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Diethrick Park.

“I like our chances. It’s certainly a unique format, but I like us,” Jamestown manager Frank Jagoda III said Monday afternoon. “We’ve played really good baseball over the last six or so weeks. We’re in a good place, heading in the right direction at the right time.”

The Tarp Skunks and the Americans are well acquainted with each other with the Tarp Skunks holding a 5-4 record over Niagara Falls in the nine games they played.

OBSERVER File Photo by Matt Spielman Jamestown’s Christian Pencek will start today’s PGCBL West Division semifinal against Niagara Falls at Diethrick Park at 6:30 p.m.

Ironically, the Americans only faced Christian Pencek, Jamestown’s scheduled starting pitcher tonight, for one inning back on June 10.

“It really does mean a lot to me that I get to go out there and compete for Jamestown, for my brothers, my teammates,” Pencek said Monday. “It’s going to be an electric atmosphere and I’m excited for it.”

In eight appearances this season, including six starts, the right-hander out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has a 4-1 record with a 3.35 earned run average. In 37 2/3 innings pitched, Pencek has struck out 30 while holding opposing hitters to a .223 batting average against.

Pencek’s best outing of the summer came June 14 at Batavia when he threw eight shutout innings against the Muckdogs, striking out five while allowing six hits and one walk.

“He’s certainly earned this opportunity. He’s really taken the bull by the horns. He’s been somebody who has stepped up at certain points in the season in a time of need,” Jagoda said of Pencek. ” … His work ethic, his routine, his process … he has all of those things buttoned up. We’re excited to go compete for him.”

Niagara Falls could throw any number of arms at the Tarp Skunks. Right-hander Luke Blandino leads the Americans with eight starts on the season and four wins with a 3.38 ERA. Right-hander Keegan Bazinet made seven starts and went 3-4 with a 3.05 ERA while right-hander John Ondus — a Gowanda Central School graduate — started six games, going 3-1 with a 4.11 ERA.

“We’ve seen Niagara Falls a bunch,” Jagoda said. ” … It’s always a benefit to have an extra day of preparation, but the main focus is our guys.”

Whoever throws for Niagara Falls, they’ll have to deal with arguably the top lineup in the league.

The Tarp Skunks led the PGCBL in batting average (.300), extra-base hits (102) and slugging percentage (.406) while additionally leading the West Division in home runs (17).

“We couldn’t be more proud of the guys that are here and have stuck it out,” Jagoda said. “I’m very confident in this group and I’m very excited with where we’re at.”

Ben Slanker, a University of Louisville commit who didn’t arrive in Jamestown until midway through the season, hit .420 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 16 RBIs.

Seton Hill University’s Jakob Haynes hit .355 with nine doubles, a triple, five home runs and 27 RBIs. Haynes recently missed eight straight games before returning to the lineup Saturday as Jamestown’s catcher and in a designated hitter role Sunday.

“Jakob is a true leader. He’s one of the best players in this league and a Player-of-the-Year candidate in my opinion,” Jagoda said. “He plays a premium position and hits in the middle of the order … but there are a lot of unnoticed things that go on, such as his leadership traits and characteristics.”

Brady Marshall of Kent State University hit .339 with two doubles and a triple while driving in 25 runs and striking out just four times in 118 at-bats. Brady McGuire, also out of Seton Hill, hit .331 with five doubles, three triples and a home run while driving in 24 runs.

Jamestown’s final batter in the top 50 of the league for batting average was Canisius University’s Justin Bremner, who hit .322 with eight doubles, a triple and four home runs to go along with 38 RBIs.

“When you start stringing things together, any lineup is hard to beat, but when you start thinking about how deep some of the skill sets that we have, it’s a gauntlet,” Jagoda said. “We still have to stay focused on team at-bats. We ran into a good pitcher (Sunday) and the end result was that we scored one run over nine (innings). That’s not who we are.”

Grant Moore led the Americans in hitting with a .388 average that included four doubles, four triples and 26 RBIs while Gavyn Boyle hit just .269, but did hit three home runs, five doubles and three triples to go along with 19 RBIs.

“They are just a good team. They’ve played good team baseball all year,” Jagoda said. “They have some players who can really go.”

“My mindset out there is to attack and pound the zone,” Pencek added. “I know if I do make a mistake, my teammates are going to back me up and help me out, even if I allow one or two early.”

The winner of tonight’s matchup will take on the winner of No. 1 Batavia (31-13-1) and No. 4 Auburn (25-15-5). That West Division final will take place at the home of the higher seed at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“We are in a win-or-go-home scenario. It’s all hands on deck,” Jagoda said. “Everybody who is available will be available, but we’re confident that Christian will go out and do his job.”