Jimmies softball falls 8-3 against Southeastern to end season

KLAMMATH FALLS, Ore. — The University of Jamestown softball team appeared to run out of steam in an 8-3 loss to Southeastern University (Florida) in the pool play round of the NAIA tournament on Tuesday, May 13, at Oregon Institute of Technology’s John and Lois Stilwell Stadium.

The Jimmies (36-17) took advantage of the wind blowing out to left field in the second inning when Kaitlin McCartney hit a solo shot to left to give her team a 1-0 lead. The Jimmies tacked on one more in the third when Maddie Spaeth hit a double to score a run and give the Jimmies a 2-0 lead.

The Fire (41-10) responded in a big way when Hailey Brooks hit a two-run home run to center to knot the game up at two in the third. The Fire continued their momentum in the fourth inning when the first two hitters of the inning reached and were promptly brought home on a double from Ella Brooks to give her team a 4-2 lead. The Fire were not done there as they added one more in the frame to go up by three runs at 5-2.

“I think it was, they made an adjustment and we tried to alter what she (starter Hope Ransome) was doing but it didn’t seem to make a difference,” Jimmies head coach Kevin Gall said. “They had seven hits in eight batters or something like that, it was unavoidable we had to change it.”

The Jimmies showed off their defensive prowess in the fourth when the Fire’s Kassidy Moore hit a sacrifice fly to score a run and make it 6-2 but the Jimmies’ Kaitlin McCartney fired a missile to short to double off a runner and end the inning. Despite heading into the seventh down by six runs, the Jimmies would not lay down as Sydney Grendler got the frame started with a triple and then she was brought home on a single from Sidnie Aasen to bring it closer at 8-3.

“It was a good way to start it off but that was the only ball we really hit hard,” Gall said. “I felt like, we failed too many times with our approach, we had good pitches to hit, it just wasn’t our day.”

The Jimmies' loss sees them finish the year with 36 wins, their most in a season since the 2017-18 season when they won 44 games. This year the Jimmies scored double-digit runs in seven games for the second consecutive season.

“They did great and we’re proud of them and that they will never be forgotten,” Gall said about his postgame message. “We won a lot of games so they did good.”

UJ 3, SU 8

UJ: 0 1 1 0 0 0 0–3 8 1

SU: 0 0 2 3 1 1 X–8 12 1

WP: Edan Playa (20-6) , LP: Hope Ransome (13-8)

Hello,
My name is Max O'Neill. I am a Sports Reporter at The Jamestown Sun. I am a native New Yorker, who graduated from Ithaca College in 2020 with a degree in Television-Radio.