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Blue Earth Area eliminates Fairmont in 2AA baseball

BLUE EARTH — Logan Jahnke proved a lethal triple threat during Friday’s opening-round Section 2AA baseball playoff game in Blue Earth.

The Blue Earth Area senior right-hander tossed a complete-game shutout, drilled a pivotal two-run double from the batter’s box and turned a key double play on defense to propel the No. 8-seeded Bucs to a 4-0 victory over the No. 9-seeded Fairmont Cardinals.

Blue Earth Area (9-11) advances to play No. 1-seeded and defending Section 2 champion Belle Plaine (16-2) in a 5 p.m. second-round postseason clash on Tuesday on the Tigers’ home turf.

Fairmont ended its season with an 8-13 record.

“We couldn’t bunch our hits together, and they (the Bucs) made the most out of theirs,” said Fairmont head coach Todd Sukalski, whose lineup lost in the opening round for the first time since 2007.

The Cardinals seemed poised to grab the early lead in the top of the first inning when Lance Becker hammered a one-out double to left before wheeling to third on Sam Schwieger’s hard-hit single to left.

Jahnke, however, displayed his athleticism on the mound by gloving a short popup in the air before zipping a throw to first baseman Zac Schonrock to double-off the courtesy runner to thwart the threat.

Jahnke later retired Fairmont in order during the top of the second before assisting his own cause from the batter’s box in the home half.

Jesus Quintero was hit by a Sam Schwieger offering before the fleet-footed Chris Sanders reached on an infield error to set the table for the Bucs. Joe Schavey dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put Quintero and Sanders in scoring position.

Jahnke, who was hitting in the No. 7 spot in the batting order, cranked a towering two-run double to right field to plate Quintero and Sanders for an early 2-0 edge.

“I thought we ran the bases well at the right time tonight,” said Blue Earth Area mentor Todd Schmidtke. “Any time you get a two-run double from your pitcher, it’s a good game offensively.”

After working around Jacob Tennyson’s leadoff infield hit in the top of the third, Jahnke watched as his teammates doubled the Bucs’ lead in the home half.

Caelan Sanders drilled a leadoff double to left before wheeling home on Kaylan Legred’s RBI single to left. Legred, who alertly took second base on the errant outfield throw, later crossed the plate on Chris Sanders’ RBI single to left for a 4-0 margin.

Ironically, Jahnke worked around Schwieger’s leadoff infield hit in the fourth and Tennyson’s leadoff double in the fifth without surrendering a run. Jahnke later escaped Cardinal runners on the corners in the sixth by recording one of his game-best seven strikeouts. The Bucs’ senior ace ended the game with a strikeout in the seventh.

“Logan has had a number of good starts on the mound for us this season. He lost a 2-1 game to a good St. Peter team, and actually had a no-hitter against Marshall before losing 3-1,” said Schmidtke. “So he’s thrown some quality innings this spring.”

Jahnke scattered six hits through seven scoreless frames to earn the complete-game victory. He struck out seven and walked three.

Schwieger allowed four runs — three earned — on four hits in five innings to take the loss. The junior right-hander struck out four, walked two and hit one batter.

Collin Steuber gave up one hit and struck out one in working the sixth inning in relief for the Cardinals.

Schwieger and Tennyson each went 2-for-3 for Fairmont, while Jordan Wolter added a hit.

FHS 000 000 0 — 0 6 4

BEA 022 000 x — 4 5 0

Sam Schwieger (LP), Collin Steuber (6) and Zac Ringnell. Logan Jahnke (WP) and Kaylan Legred.

LOB–Fairmont 8, Blue Earth Area 5. 2B–Lance Becker (F), Jacob Tennyson (F), Caelan Sanders (BEA), Jahnke (BEA). SAC–Joe Schavey (BEA).

North Union 18, Emmetsburg 7 — The Warriors erupted for 14 runs in the seventh inning to beat the E-Hawks on Thursday in Emmetsburg.

Hunter Pierce scored three runs with two RBIs, going 2-for-3 at the plate for the Warriors. Blake Crawmer collected three RBIs on two hits with three runs scored, while Elliott Hagebock scored twice and batted in four runs.

Jared Larson had two hits, two RBIs and three runs for the Warriors.

Dylan Kibbie scored three times for the E-Hawks, while Jeremiah Weir went 2-for-4 batting and tallied three RBIs.

Tanner Doocy gave up seven runs on six hits with three walks and struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings of work to garner the win. Riley Bauer pitched the final 1/3 of an inning, allowing three hits in relief.

Max Dunlap allowed four runs on one hit and three walks to absorb the loss.

North Union (2-0) plays at Clear Lake at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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E’G 101 020 3– 7 9 3

Prep Softball

North Union 2, Emmetsburg 0 — Anna Ingalls gave up only three hits and racked up 11 strikeouts in the Warriors’ shutout win over the E-Hawks on Thursday in Swea City.

Ingalls walked one to record the victory.

Kyarsten Mullen and Kate Anderson scored the Warriors’ runs. Anderson also had an RBI with two hits. Maddie Rolling went 2-for-3 batting and collected an RBI.

Mikayla Frerichs allowed two runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out seven to take the loss.

North Union (2-0) plays Estherville-Lincoln-Central at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Estherville.

E’G 000 000 0–0 3 0

NU 000 002 x–2 8 0

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