On Monday, three Jamestown pitchers combined to scatter seven hits and strike out 12 as the second-place Tarp Skunks pounded out 11 hits and took advantage of four errors to beat the first-place Batavia Muckdogs 6-2 in Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League action at Diethrick Park.

“Any time you play at home in front of our fans on $2 beer night, it’s a big game, I don’t think it matters the opponent,” Jamestown manager Frank Jagoda III said postgame. “These guys are hungry and they know what’s going on.”

With five games remaining in their schedule, the Tarp Skunks (25-13) trail the Muckdogs (27-11-1) by two games in the West Division standings. Jamestown is 1 1/2 games ahead of third-place Niagara Falls (25-16) and two games ahead of fourth-place Auburn (21-13-5). The top four teams in the division make the postseason, which begins next Tuesday.

“That’s a good ballclub over there. Joe (Martinez) does a really good job with his group,” Jagoda said. ” … It’s a big game when you play somebody like Batavia. … We’re going to have another big one with them Sunday at their place.”

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Jamestown Tarp Skunks’ Christian Pencek delivers a pitch.

Christian Pencek improved to 4-1 on the season with 5 1/3 innings of four-hit ball during which he struck out eight. Pencek allowed two runs, one of which was unearned.

“Christian did his job. He was phenomenal,” Jagoda said. He went out and got us into the fifth. He got up for a sixth time. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Pencek’s victory was preserved by his teammate Will Taylor. The left-hander relieved in the top of the sixth inning with Jamestown clinging to a one-run lead and a runner on second base, and proceeded to induce a flyout and a groundout to end Batavia’s threat.

“The way he handled himself, coming in in a tight spot, in the middle of their order, facing some good hitters … he competed against both lefties and righties,” Jagoda said of Taylor. “He had three pitches going tonight. Our pitching coach Joe Reitebach and (catcher) Branston Lindquist were on the same page with the things they were talking about.”

The Tarp Skunks created some breathing room in the bottom of the seventh inning with their second three-run frame of the night. Brady McGuire was hit by a pitch with one out, then stole second and went to third when the throw went into center field. Following a walk to Nolan Smith, Ben Slanker hit into an RBI groundout to make it 4-2.

“Anytime you put the ball in play, there’s a greater chance to get on base and create chaos,” Jagoda said. “We talk about having team at-bats with runners in scoring position, specifically with guys on third and less than two outs. … It may seem meaningless in the second inning … but where you see it is in the fifth where it creeps up after seven or eight more pitches earlier in the game.”

Justin Bremner followed with an infield single and Smith scored when the Muckdogs committed a throwing error on the play — their fourth error of the night. Nathan Borchardt then greeted Batavia reliever Jake Szlis with an RBI single as the Tarp Skunks made it 6-2.

Taylor got Jamestown to the ninth with that 6-2 lead intact, but ran into a little trouble. After the first two Batavia batters of the inning singled, Taylor faced a 3-1 count on No. 3 hitter Sean Mindas, but was able to battle back for a strikeout.

“Will was phenomenal. That’s something that we really needed for a lot of reasons,” Jagoda said. “With several games left here this week to close out the regular season, it provides a little bit of flexibility going into (Tuesday) and Wednesday before our off day on Thursday.”

After Taylor struck out cleanup hitter Jackson Inman, Jagoda turned to Jasean Brown for what turned out to be a one-pitch save when he induced a grounder to end the game.

“You don’t want to put guys on in the ninth, no matter the score, but we liked where we were,” Jagoda said. “We had a good plan in place going into the ninth. We stuck to it and it worked out for us.”

Batavia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning with an unearned run off Pencek, but Jamestown answered with a three-run bottom half of the frame. Brady Marshall reached on a bunt single and later scored on an error; Eric Weeks singled and later scored on Lindquist’s RBI double; and Dom Costello reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored on another error.

“You always want to score as many runs as you can. That big hit is coming to break it open,” Jagoda said. ” … Six runs against a very good pitching staff in any fashion is and should be enough to give us a chance. That’s exactly what it did tonight.”

The Tarp Skunks will look to keep their hot streak alive — their 8-2 in their last 10 — when they head to last-place Geneva (7-29-2) for a matchup with the Red Wings tonight. Easton Barnett (1-0, 5.86 ERA) will be on the mound for Jamestown.

“You have to walk before you can run. We have to get into the playoffs first. We’re close and we’re right where we need to be,” Jagoda said. ” … They can smell it a little bit and taste it some. The first goal coming in is to get to the playoffs.”