OBSERVER Photo by Scott Kindberg Jamestown’s Blake Herman successfully steals third base ahead of the tag of Olean’s Darek Staudt in the third inning of Tuesday’s Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League contest at Diethrick Park in Jamestown.

JAMESTOWN — With runners at the corners, one out and a once huge lead in jeopardy, Jamestown reliever Eli Bryant delivered to the plate in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League contest at Diethrick Park.

Olean’s Dana Williams took off from first on an attempted steal.

Tarp Skunks’ catcher Branston Lindquist came up throwing.

Williams had no chance.

Jamestown shortstop Tito Kiefer snared the picture-perfect strike — his glove didn’t appear to move — and slapped on the tag.

Out.

Bryant then promptly got Connor Vercollone to fly to right to end the rally.

Lindquist, the second-year Tarp Skunk, flipped up his mask and calmly retired to the dugout.

It was just another “day at the office” for the Falconer native, who was part of Jamestown’s 15-11 three-hour, 40-minute marathon win.

“Defense has always been the best part of my game,” Lindquist said. “I could go 0 for 5, but if I have a great defensive game, that’s what I’m happy with, because it’s all about the pitchers, getting the most strikes I can, blocking the ball in front of me and throwing guys out.”

Nevertheless, Lindquist has been very productive at the plate when given the opportunity. Yesterday he belted a long two-run double to left in the bottom of the first inning and walked and scored in the second as Jamestown’s lead ballooned to 11-1 after two complete. That all came on the heels of a six-RBI performance in last Saturday’s win at Niagara Falls. Defensively, he caught all nine innings yesterday — that’s 164 pitches, if you’re counting — and made the laser throw to cut down the only attempted steal.

“Branston has been absolutely fantastic,” said Tarp Skunks coach Joe Reitebach, who called Lindquist an “elite defender.” “He’s sub-2.0 (seconds) every single time throwing down, so we know exactly what we have there, and he’s been catching his stride with the bat lately, getting into a couple balls. I think some people thought that ball (he hit in the first inning) was going to leave the park. He’s feeling real comfortable at the plate right now and he’s also a tremendous leader in our clubhouse.”

Lindquist, who just finished his freshman year at the University of Toledo, admitted that he was a “little bit immature to the game” in his first season in Jamestown last summer.

“Things were quick around me,” he said. “Going through a full year of college and coming back to the (Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League) I’ve been able to slow the game down and just play the game I want to play.”

Through the first handful of games in the 2026 season, the Tarp Skunks have been playing exactly how Reitebach hoped they would, too.

Against the Oilers, Jamestown took advantage of 11 walks and stole nine bases, including four by Eric Weeks and two by Kiefert, to help extend its winning streak to five and its overall record to 7-1.

“We knew that running, stealing, taking the extra base were going to be a large part of what we do,” Reitebach said. “It’s something we implemented in the first couple practices.”

Of the Tarp Skunks’ 10 hits, three were for extra bases. Lindquist had his two-run double in the four-run first inning; Joaquin Rodriguez-Costa belted a three-run double in the seven-run second; and Weeks added an RBI triple in the seventh.

“It’s been a fantastic start,” Reitebach said. “Just a whole team effort. … It’s been a combination of the three phases of the game, and I think this group is really meshing well off the field.”

NOTES: The Oilers (4-5), who trimmed the deficit to 14-11 in the top of the seventh, were led by Anthony Radice, Christo Hunsicker and Connor O’Mara (double) with two hits apiece. Darek Staudt drove in three runs and Jack Painter added a double. … Bryant, one of six Jamestown pitchers, earned the save. Starter Ryan Tatar was the winning pitcher. … Salamanca native Jaxson Ross took the loss… Diethrick Park was filled to near capacity on Kids Day. … The Tarp Skunks are back in action at 6:30 tonight when they entertain Niagara Falls.