Geneva downs Skunks 8-4
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JAMESTOWN -- The good news for Jamestown after Sunday's Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League contest was it didn't lose any ground to first-place Batavia in the West Division pennant race.
The bad news?
The Tarp Skunks didn't gain any either.
Sparked by three-run rallies in both the second and third innings, Geneva built a big early lead and cruised to an 8-4 victory over Jamestown at Diethrick Park.
"We got some unlucky hops, and strikes weren't all there at some points," Tarp Skunks coach Joe Reitebach said. "There were a couple bloopers combined with a couple hits, and a couple plays could have been made."
The win improved the Red Wings' record to 13-18, while the Tarp Skunks dropped to 24-9-2, a game behind Batavia (26-9-1), which suffered an 8-4 home setback to Niagara yesterday.
Jamestown has four regular-season games remaining -- at home Tuesday against Niagara, at Olean on Thursday and Friday and at home on Saturday against Geneva -- so this week will be a telling one in the battle for the division's top spot.
"Our next goal is to get a home playoff game," Reitebach said. "We just have to take it a play at a time and a pitch at a time."
Yesterday, though, the Red Wings performed as if they were in the hunt for a postseason berth.
Facing Jamestown starter Eli Bryant (1-1), they collected seven hits and scored six runs over the second and third innings to take control. Tarp Skunks relievers Jake Boynar and Ryan Tatar allowed only two runs and five hits over the final 6 2-3 innings, but the damage had been done.
Meanwhile, Jamestown scored all its runs in the fifth inning against winning pitcher Austin Deitz (1-5), highlighted by Tito Kiefer's RBI single, but the hosts couldn't get the big hit when they needed it as they stranded 11 base runners and left the bases loaded twice.
"We weren't able to capitalize in those scenarios," Reitebach said.
Ben Buxton had three hits, while Deitz (RBI), Andrew Haussman and Christian Bermudez (RBI) added two apiece. Dylan Briggs (two RBIs) chipped in a double for the Red Wings, who collected 14 hits.
Anthony Trommer had a double for the Tarp Skunks, who were limited to six hits by Deitz and relievers Noah Company and Lane Whiting.
NOTES: Reitebach took a moment postgame to offer his condolences to Jamestown general manager and director of business sales and operations Christian Dolce following the passing of his father, Tony, over the weekend.
"He was an unbelievable human being," Reitebach said. "It's deeply sad. We're going to do everything we can to stand behind Christian and his family and give them any type of help they need in this sad situation." ... While the Tarp Skunks have had great success on the road this season, sporting a 15-2-1 record, they are only 9-7-1 at home. ... Zach McLean (1-1) is the scheduled starter for Jamestown on Tuesday against Niagara.