MANKATO — No matter what order one makes a reference to the three school districts comprising the Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman Jaguars baseball team, each version spelled Class A state qualifier on Thursday.

Ace right-hander Derek Shoen fired a three-hit complete-game gem, while battery mate Ethan Hurn went 2-for-3 with a triple, one RBI and three runs scored to guide the Jaguars to a 10-2 victory over the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City Falcons for the Section 2A championship game at Franklin Rogers Field in Mankato.

The No. 8-ranked Jaguars (21-4), who earned the conglomerated program’s first-ever state baseball bid, opens the Class A state quarterfinals next Thursday at the Mini Met in Jordan.

MLGHEC/Truman awaits today’s seeding meeting that will determine its first-round opponent and the starting time of its stately debut.

“It definitely wasn’t the way we wanted to start a sectional championship game — down 2-0 after the top of the first (inning), but our guys didn’t quit and made a nice comeback with three runs in the fourth to take the lead for good,” said Jaguars head coach Scott Chirpich.

Josh Kinzler led off the sectional showdown with a single to left field before Jaguar catcher Ethan Hurn fielded David Kingery’s double-hit sacrifice bunt in front of the plate. Hurn’s throw beat Kingery to the bag, but the toss was dropped to put Falcons on first and second.

“It doesn’t matter what the call was on the play, we still had a chance to get an out and we didn’t execute and that opened the door for them,” said Chirpich.

A wild pitch allowed Josh Kinzler and Kingery to both move into scoring position before Shoen got a foul popup that Jaguar third baseman James Schrunk made a nice running catch on near the ACGC dugout.

Kobe Holtz then delivered an RBI groundout to plate Josh Kinzler before Kingery crossed the plate when Payton Kinzler’s grounder was mishandled for a 2-0 lead.

Payton Kinzler, who faced the minimum nine hitters through three perfect innings, experienced difficulty during the next time through the Jaguars’ batting order.

Schrunk, who went 2-for-4, lined a leadoff single just inside the right-field line to trigger MLGHEC/Truman’s three-run bottom of the fourth. Chirpich held up the fleet-footed Schrunk at third after Shoen drilled a line-drive off the Mankato Free Press sign in the left-field corner for a double.

After fouling off six two-strike deliveries, Hurn smacked an RBI single to left to bring home Schrunk. Zach Wolter then put the Jaguars in the driver’s seat by cranking a hit-and-run double to the right-center gap to plate Shoen and Hurn for a 3-2 margin.

Zach Jahnz followed with a sharp single to center before Payton Kinzler plunked Owen Wolter with a pitch to load the bases. Kinzler, however, escaped unscathed by recording one of his four strikeouts before the Falcons’ defense turned a rare 5-2-3 double play to keep the score at a one-run differential.

With Shoen breezing through the ACGC batting order for the final three frames, the Jaguars’ offense put the game out of reach by erupting for six fifth-inning runs.

Schrunk proved the catalyst again by singling to left before gaining second base when Shoen’s grounder was mishandled by the shortstop. Payton Kinzler walked Hurn and then hit Zach Wolter with a low delivery to plate a run.

Jahnz, who went 2-for-3, crushed a towering double to the right-center gap to plate both Shoen and Hurn for a 6-2 edge. Owen Wolter was hit by a pitch for the second straight at-bat before Mitchell Prafke’s grounder was booted to allow two more runs to cross. Garrett Balcom’s RBI groundout capped the Jaguars’ 9-2 lead.

Hurn then drilled a two-out triple to right during the last of the sixth before scoring on an errant throw to close out MLGHEC/Truman’s run production.

“I wanted this game, and I’m very happy that Chirp game me the ball today,” said Shoen, who recorded seven strikeouts without issuing a walk in seven innings of work. “I only gave up three hits and neither one of the two runs were earned, so hopefully I proved to be the big-game pitcher I knew I could be for our team.”

Payton Kinzler allowed nine runs — just four earned — on seven hits, fanned four, walked one and hit three batters in five frames to take the loss. Kingery allowed one hit in one scoreless inning of relief.

Josh Kinzler collected two of the Falcons’ three hits, and along with Kingery, produced the team’s runs.

ACGC 200 000 0 — 2 3 3

MLGT 000 361 x — 10 8 4

Payton Kinzler (LP), David Kingery (6) and Josh Kinzler. Derek Shoen (WP) and Ethan Hurn.

LOB–Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 4, Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman 3. 2B–Shoen (MLGHECT), Zach Wolter (MLGHECT) and Zach Jahnz (MLGHECT). 3B–Hurn (MLGHECT). SAC–Kingery (ACGC).