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Skunks clinch playoffs

Jamestown coach Jordan Basile, left, exchanges a high-five with Kieran Gagnon after the Tarp Skunks’ 7-6 come-from-behind victory over Niagara on Friday night at Diethrick Park in Jamestown, N.Y. Times Observer Photo by Scott Kindberg

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The Jamestown roster in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League boasts players from a host of colleges and universities.

Friday night it was a pair from Gannon that made sure the Tarp Skunks reached the postseason.

Kieran Gagnon’s two-out, two-strike, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Jamestown the lead and closer Joe Reitebach worked around a two-out walk in the top of the ninth to send the Tarp Skunks to a dramatic 7-6 victory over Niagara at Diethrick Park.

The win in Jamestown’s final regular-season game raised its record to 23-18-1 and sets up a playoff game on Sunday against either Elmira or Batavia. The Power (22-18-1) closes out their regular season today against the Muckdogs. The top four teams in the Western Division are eligible for the postseason.

There was some doubt whether the Tarp Skunks would be able to extend their season after Niagara scored six runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-3 lead. But Jamestown didn’t quit, plating two runs in the sixth on Matt Thompson’s two-out, two-run single. It finally regained the lead in the eighth when Gagnon, who dropped a flyball in left field that led to two runs in the Power’s fifth-inning rally, came up with his huge double to right to put the Tarp Skunks in front by a run.

In the top of the ninth, Reitebach came on in relief of Warren native Ryan Rafalski (2-2), the winning pitcher, and worked around a two-out walk to earn his second save of the season.

He was helped by a diving catch by center fielder Zach Kent for the second out and then struck out the final batter to end the game.

Jamestown opened up a 3-0 lead for starter Ryan Bilka in the bottom of the second inning, highlighted by Luc Fuller’s two-run single and Cooper Munro’s RBI single.

The hosts held that advantage until the top of the fifth when the Power used three hits, four walks, an error and a two-run single by Vincent Mauro to seize all the momentum.

Rafalski, who struggled with his command in that inning after relieving Bilka, settled down nicely after that, finishing his 3 1/3 innings allowing two hits, two runs and two walks. He struck out three.

NOTES: Gagnon finished with three hits, while teammates Thompson and Colin Houck each had two. … Googins and Henry Juan both had a double for Jamestown. … Zach Evans and Alex Dzimian both had two hits for Niagara. … The start of the game was delayed an hour because of rain.

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