Gage Hayes lowered his earned run average to 2.62 with a six-inning shutout performance as he allowed just one hit and walked two to go along with four strikeouts.

Shaniel Maldonado (Mercer Community College) had the big hit for the Tarp Skunks with a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 6-0 at the time.

Hayden Givens-Craig (University of Tampa) threw the final three innings, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks while striking out two to earn his second save of the season.

Jamestown took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when reigning West Division Player of the Week Bobby Stang (University of Dayton) led off with a double and scored on Henry Juan’s (Williams College) two-out RBI single.

Jamestown Tarp Skunks pitcher Gage Hayes delivers to the plate during Tuesday’s PGCBL game against the Geneva Red Wings at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

In the third, the Tarp Skunks took advantage of a pair of Geneva errors to plate two runs. Eli Harpalani (Catawba Valley CC) led off with a single and scored all the way from first when the Red Wings threw a potential double-play ball into right field. Brandon McClain-Banks (Youngstown State University), who reached on that fielder’s choice and ended up at second base on the play, then scored when Nigel Sebastianelli (Niagara County CC) put down a bunt single and Geneva threw the ball away at first base.

“We took advantage of all their mistakes today, which was big,” Hill said.

“The past week, we’ve been having trouble coming through with runners in scoring position. They put great at-bats together and came through when we needed it.”

Klayton Kiser (Drury University) reached on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning and scored on an RBI single by McClain-Banks.

In the fifth, Leo Doyle (Wagner College) led off with a double, Tommy Schroeder (Shorter University) walked and Stang singled before Maldonado’s two-run single made it 6-0.

Jamestown Tarp Skunks’ Shaniel Maldonado celebrates a two-run single during Tuesday’s PGCBL game against the Geneva Red Wings at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“He’s just such an impressive athlete. He does anything we ask him,” Hill said of Maldonado, who has also thrown 10 innings on the mound this season. ” … It’s hard to figure out which days he’s going to hit and which days he’s going to pitch because I want him to do both.”

Hayes didn’t need that much run support in the end as he cruised through six innings for his longest outing of the summer. He retired the first eight Red Wings he faced before Nick Johnson’s two-out single in the top of the third inning. After a hit batter, Hayes induced a flyout to left field to end the inning.

“The offense has worked well. I’ve been getting some long innings in the dugout, which is huge so I can sit there and rest a little bit,” Hayes said. “I can take a little more time and really focus on the next innings.”

The right-hander from Drury University pitched around leadoff walks in both the fifth and sixth innings before a strikeout looking on his 72nd pitch of the game ended his night.

“He just dominated. Every time he gets out there, I know I can trust him. He showed it again tonight. He comes and throws strikes,” Hill said. “Through two innings, he was at like 20 pitches. He was very efficient. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Tarp Skunks’ Bobby Stang gestures toward the dugout after a double. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Givens-Craig pitched around a one-out double in the seventh inning, allowed a run before stranding two in the eighth, and left a two-out walk at first in the ninth.

“He has that changeup, he has a slider and he can locate. He can throw them in any count. You don’t know what he’s going to throw,” Hill said of Givens-Craig. “He’s really confident out there and he has a presence on the mound.”

“He’s done that two or three times after me, it’s been huge,” Hayes added. “I know if we’re up three or four, we’re going to win the game.”

Jamestown will look to sweep the home-and-home with the Red Wings tonight at McDonough Park in Geneva when Sam Hough (Bates College) takes the mound for the Tarp Skunks.

“We’re really rolling right now. We’re having fun, playing loose, playing relaxed and playing aggressive ball,” Hill said. “I really like the spot we’re in right now. I think we really have a chance the next couple of weeks to keep it rolling going into the second half of the season.”