Three Tarp Skunks pitchers did the rest.

Kent, a center fielder from Wagner College, reached base twice and stole three bases, while six different Jamestown batters scored a run as the Tarp Skunks beat the Elmira Pioneers 6-2 in Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League West Division action on a sunny holiday afternoon at Diethrick Park.

Ryan Bilka (Wagner College), Joe Reitebach (Gannon University) and Ryan Rafalski (Mercyhurst University) combined to scatter eight hits and strike out seven while walking just two on the mound for Jamestown.

Paul Catalano (Fairfield University) doubled twice and scored a run for the Tarp Skunks (13-7), who had just seven hits, but took advantage of five walks and three hit batters by Elmira (12-9) pitchers.

Jamestown Tarp Skunks leadoff batter Zack Kent dives into second base with a stolen base as the throw gets away from Elmira Pioneers second baseman Aidan Blake during Tuesday’s PGCBL game at Diethrick Park in Jamestown. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Kent led off the bottom of the first inning with a single to center field and stole second and third before a walk to Matt Thompson (Youngstown State University). Jake Kernodle (Princeton University) then hit a grounder to the Pioneers shortstop that should’ve been an inning-ending double play, but the exchange went into right field allowing Kent to score. Henry Juan (Williams College) followed with an RBI single to right field to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.

“Zack does a great job in the leadoff position, but we have a mixture of four or five guys that could be leadoff hitters that are weapons for us,” Tarp Skunks manager Jordan Basile said postgame. “Zack is also a guy who came in as a pinch-runnner on our walk-off two games ago that stole second, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly.”

Jamestown scored another two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Jared Munoz (University of Massachusetts) reached on an infield single to open the frame before three straight walks forced in a run. After a pop-up to the catcher, Pioneers starter Conner Lutes hit Kieran Gagnon (Gannon University) with a pitch to force in another run.

The Tarp Skunks made it 6-0 in the bottom of the third. Juan led off with a single to right field and Catalano doubled down the right-field line before both scored when Munoz hit a hard grounder that ate up Elmira’s drawn-in second baseman and got to the outfield.

“He’s got a good approach at the plate. He’s been squaring the ball up like crazy lately,” Basile said of Catalano. “Paul’s swinging a good bat right now.”

Jamestown Tarp Skunks second baseman Aiden Dunlap throws to first base during Tuesday’s PGCBL game against the Elmira Pioneers at Diethrick Park in Jamestown. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

The six runs were plenty for Jamestown’s pitchers.

Bilka threw the first four innings, allowing one run on four hits and no walks while striking out two. He gave up a run in his final inning on the hill when Elmira’s John Schroeder tripled off the right-field wall and scored on Aidan Blake’s RBI groundout.

“As a whole, our pitching staff … we’ve for the most part thrown strikes. You always want a little bit more, but that’s what wins games is throwing strikes,” Basile said. ” … If you throw strikes, there are going to be some hard-hit balls that are outs.”

Reitebach threw the next four innings with a nearly identical line of one run on four hits. He struck out three and walked two, giving up his run in the eighth. The Pioneers’ Erik Charnetski singled down the third-base line, moved up a pair of bases on wild pitches, and scored on Matt Granato’s RBI single to center field.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily letting up. We still had some hard-hit balls,” Basile said of Jamestown’s five scoreless trips to the plate to close the game. ” … It’s baseball sometimes. You won’t score for five innings early and then you’ll have an eight-run inning.”

Jamestown Tarp Skunks pitcher Ryan Rafalski delivers to the plate during the ninth inning of Tuesday’s PGCBL game against the Elmira Pioneers at Diethrick Park in Jamestown. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Rafalski closed it out for the Tarp Skunks with a 1-2-3 ninth during which he struck out a pair.

“Ryan has come a long way. He was great again today,” Basile said. “Getting to know him over the last two-plus years … he’s become a whole pitcher. We can rely on him in any scenario whether it’s starting or in relief.”

Jamestown will play its next three games on the road Wednesday at Batavia, Thursday at Niagara and Friday at Newark before a five-game homestand Sunday through next Saturday.

“We won five straight and then lost a 2-1 game to those guys the last time out,” Basile said. “We’re in a mode now where we’re expecting to win games.”