Jimtown scores 3 in 7th, ends Valley baseball’s season

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

D.J. Estep doubled and drove in two runs in the third inning, and Owen Kirchenstien pitched six scoreless innings, but the Tippecanoe Valley baseball team lost to Jimtown 3-2 in a Class 3A, Sectional 21 quarterfinal at Wawasee Wednesday.

Valley led 2-0 after six innings, but Jimtown scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead for good.

Valley outhit Jimtown 8-7. Hunter Craft had two hits and scored a run, and Payton Mills had a hit and also scored ahead of Estep’s double.

Marcus Bernicky had a double, and Noah Prater, Kirchenstien and Annikan Pettit each had a single.

Kirchenstien blanked the Jimmies on four hits through the first six innings. He walked two and struck out eight.

Estep relieved and took the loss. He allowed three hits and three runs in one inning while walking one and striking out one. Valley committed two errors, and Jimtown scored two unearned runs.

Jimtown avenged an 8-7 loss to Valley in the Wawasee tournament on April 24.

Valley finished 12-12 in coach Jarred Littlejohn’s first season.

Valley has not won a sectional title since 2012.

Jimtown improved to 12-6. They will play Wawasee (16-12) in the semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday. Wawasee beat Lakeland 8-1 in a quarterfinal on Thursday.

Jimtown 3, Valley 2

Jimtown 000 000 3 – 3

Valley 002 000 0 – 2

LP – D.J. Estep (1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

2B – D.J. Estep (TV), Marcus Bernicky (TV)

3B – Frank (JIM)