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Jaguars earn spot in Section 2A baseball final

MANKATO — Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman’s No. 3 batter Ethan Hurn and cleanup hitter Zach Wolter produced pivotal RBI hits in the bottom of the first inning, and ace right-hander Zach Jahnz and the Jaguars’ defense never looked back.

Jahnz fired a four-hit complete-game gem, while Hurn went 2-for-3 with a game-best two RBIs to propel the Class A, No. 8-ranked Jaguars to a 5-1 triumph over the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City Falcons on Saturday at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato.

The Jaguars (20-4) advance to the Section 2A championship game at 5 p.m. Thursday back at Franklin Rogers Park. MLGHEC/Truman will play the survivor of Tuesday night’s pair of elimination-bracket clashes featuring defending Class A state champion Springfield against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s at 5 p.m., and the winner of that game against ACGC (15-9) in a 7:30 p.m. tilt in Mankato.

Springfield downed Cleveland, 7-2, while Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s defeated BOLD, 9-5, during Saturday’s elimination games.

“Zach (Jahnz) wanted the baseball today, and he stepped to the mound and got the job done for us,” said Jaguars’ head coach Scott Chirpich. “Offensively, we were able to score two big runs in the first inning before adding two more in the last of the second (inning).”

After Jahnz retired the Falcons in order during the top of the first inning, James Schrunk led off the Jaguars’ initial at-bat by dumping a check-swing single into right field. Derek Shoen drew a walk before Hurn drilled an RBI single to left to plate Schrunk for a quick 1-0 margin.

ACGC catcher Josh Kinzler then erased Shoen trying to swipe third base, but Zach Wolter still manage to plate Hurn by crushing a towering RBI triple to the left-center gap for a 2-0 lead.

Josh Kinzler later picked Hurn off of third base to end the Jaguars’ first-inning threat, but the purple-and-white lineup would generate two more runs in its half of the second.

Jahnz allowed a two-out single to the Falcons’ Adam Johnson during a scoreless top of the second before Carter Wille got the offense started in the home half via a leadoff walk.

Wille advanced 90 feet on Mitchell Prafke’s perfect sacrifice bunt, stayed put when Garrett Balcom was plunked by ACGC starting pitcher Payton Kinzler and literally walked to third when Quintin Greier worked out a walk.

Schrunk’s ensuing fielder’s choice to second base plated Wille before Shoen hammered an RBI single to left to bring home Balcom for a 4-0 lead after two completed frames.

“Up by four, Jahnz was able to relax and just concentrate on throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count,” said Chirpich.

Jahnz maintained his shutout bid by working around a leadoff walk to Jordan Schultz in the third and a one-out Jaguars’ error in the fourth.

The Falcons, however, managed to manufacture a solo run in the top of the fifth without the benefit of a hit. Jeremy Nelson was plunked by a Jahnz offering, stole second base and wheeled to third on a wild pitch. Nelson later crossed the plate on Josh Kinzler’s RBI groundout to pare the Jaguars’ lead to 4-1.

Shoen did not waste any time in answering ACGC’s solo run in the home half of the fifth. The Jaguars’ junior cranked a towering leadoff double off the sign near the 385-foot mark in center and later trotted home on Hurn’s RBI single to the right-center gap for a 5-1 edge.

Jahnz then proved his mettle in the top of the sixth. Kobe Holtz singled with one out, Payton Kinzler reached on an error and Nelson collected a two-out single to load the bases. Jahnz got Schultz to ground out to third baseman Derek Shoen to turn the Falcons away empty-handed.

Jahnz then worked around Josh Kinzler’s one-out infield hit in the seventh inning to propel the Jaguars into the sectional championship game.

Shoen, Jahnz and Hurn each produced two of the Jaguars’ nine hits, while Prafke added a sixth-inning single.

Jahnz allowed one earned run on four hits, struck out six, walked two and hit one batter in seven innings of work to earn the complete-game victory.

Payton Kinzler gave up five runs — all earned — on eight hits, fanned five, walked three and hit one batter in five frames to take the loss for the Falcons.

David Kingery struck out one in a hitless and scoreless sixth inning of relief for ACGC.

CGC 000 010 0 — 1 4 0

MLGT 220 010 x — 5 9 2

Payton Kinzler (LP), David Kingery (6) and Josh Kinzler. Zach Jahnz (WP) and Ethan Hurn.

LOB–Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 8, Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman 5. 2B–Derek Shoen (MLGHECT). 3B–Zach Wolter (MLGHECT). SAC–Mitchell Prafke (MLGHECT).

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