Jamestown Tarp Skunks starting pitcher Ryan Rafalski delivers to the plate during Wednesday’s Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League game against the Niagara Power at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y. Times Observer Photo by Scott Kindberg

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The West Division standings in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League are updated daily and mounted on a wall that faces the concourse at Diethrick Park.

For all of last season and for much of this campaign, Jamestown fans didn’t have to worry too much about whether the Tarp Skunks would be playoff bound by the end of July.

Their angst might be justified now.

For after Wednesday night’s 9-4 10-inning loss to Niagara, Jamestown’s record now stands at 17-16, a half-game in front of fifth-place Auburn (17-17) in a battle for the fourth, and final, playoff spot. Elmira is in sixth place at 14-16.

The next two weeks should be interesting.

“We have to stay steady,” Tarp Skunks manager Jordan Basile said. “We have to make sure we win the ones we’re supposed to win.”

Last night, the Tarp Skunks scored two runs in the eighth inning to tie the game 3-all, and had runners at second and third with one out in the ninth, but they couldn’t capitalize. In extra innings, the Power put the game away by pushing across six runs off losing pitcher Tucker Fenton (1-1). Jamestown managed a run in the 10th, but it wasn’t nearly enough as it suffered its third straight setback.

Julian Uejima, Alex Dzimian and Scottie O’Bryan all had two hits for Niagara. Andres Hulfachor, one of four Power pitchers, was the winner, evening his record at 3-3.

Pat Bigham, Julian Thompson and Dan Maglio all had two hits for the Tarp Skunks.

Collecting hits in clutch situations, though, continues to be a struggle, though.

After Jamestown tied the game 3-3 in the eighth, courtesy of an RBI double by Yogie Hartigan and a run-scoring single by Bigham, it had a golden opportunity to win it in the bottom of the ninth.

A pair of Niagara errors, put Tarp Skunks’ runners at first and third with one out, but Hulfachor struck out pinch-hitter Johnny Kampes and fanned Maglio looking to end the threat.

“(Lack of ) consistency has been a big thing for us,” Basile said of his offense. “We scored 36 runs in three games and then we put up two zeros the following couple days and four today. … That (ninth) inning, in that spot, we like (Kampes) in that situation, and he just didn’t come up in that spot. We’ve got to do a better job with runners in scoring position.”

The Power wasted little time seizing the lead for good in the top of the 10th against Fenton, who struggled to find the strike zone after pitching effectively for much of his first four innings. But four walks — one intentional — a couple wild pitches and three base hits led to six runs. In 4 2/3 innings, Fenton struck out seven, walked eight and gave up five hits.

“Tucker’s pitch count got up a little bit, but the inning before he looked stronger than ever, so we sent him out there for the 10th. … We were almost out of the inning there. Once we got three or four on, Tucker was maybe a little discouraged, but at the same time he was almost at 100 pitches at that point. … We had pitching left (in the bullpen), but at the same time we have a lot of games upcoming. We were hoping he could finish off that inning for us.”

Tarp Skunks starter, Warren native Ryan Rafalski, gave up two runs — one earned — struck out four, walked four and gave up six hits in five innings of work.

“Ryan threw well,” Basile said. “He gave us almost six innings, right where we wanted to be. If we put a few runs on, we think it’s a different game.”

Jamestown opened the scoring with a run in the second inning. Will Dorrell drilled a one-out double to left-center field and scored on Thompson’s single. The Power plated a pair of runs — one unearned — in the fifth inning off Rafalsky, courtesy of an RBI groundout by Blaise Kolbert and an RBI single by O’Bryan. Niagara tacked on a run in the top of the sixth off Fenton on a groundout by Jadyn Lobliner.

That was all the runs the Power would get until the top of the 10th.

The Tarp Skunks are off today. They return to action Friday when they entertain Batavia at 6:30 p.m.