FORCED OUT — Fairmont Martins shortstop Brendan Schmidtke (23) steps on second for the forceout on Jackson Bulls runner Easton Bahr during Game 2 of the teams’ best-of-3 Region 13C semifinal amateur baseball series Friday night at Wacker Field in Jackson. (Photo by Greg Abel)

JACKSON — The No. 6-seeded Jackson Bulls forced a decisive final game in the best-of-3 Region 13C semifinal amateur baseball series, beating the No. 2-seeded Fairmont Martins 1-0 in Game 2 on Friday night at Wacker Field in Jackson.

Game 3 is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start Sunday at Herb Wolf Field in Fairmont.

The Martins edged the Bulls in Game 1, 4-3, on Wednesday night.

Jackson starting pitcher Ryan Rasche pitched 7 2/3 innings and earned the win. Rasche kept Fairmont’s hitters off-balance all night, giving up only five hits, walked four, hit one batter and struck out 10.

Evan Olesen pitched 1/3 of an inning, walking one and striking out one.

Will Larson pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the save, striking out one for the Bulls.

For Fairmont, Spencer Chirpich was the tough-luck losing pitcher. He gave up only three hits, walked none and struck out 13.

Jackson’s defense helped Rasche in the seventh when third baseman Evan Olesen bare-handed a Brenden Schmidtke bunt and threw him out by a half-step at first base.

“We had our chances, but couldn’t get the key hit when we needed it,” Fairmont player/coach Levi Becker said. “Spence pitched a great game, but we didn’t give him any help. We’ll come back on Sunday ready to play.”

“I just tried to hit my spots and I did tonight,” Chirpich said. “I would have gone out to pitch the ninth if we tied it or went ahead.”

The Bulls scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Olesen singled, advanced to second on a ground out and scored on Lucas Gardner’s RBI single.

That was the Bulls’ final hit of the game. Chirpich retired the final 13 hitters he faced.

The Martins had their chances to score, leaving runners in scoring position in the first, fifth, sixth, seven and loaded the bases on three walks in the eighth, but left them stranded.

The Martins finished with five hits in the game. Chirpich was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles to go with two walks, while teammates Levi Becker, Jack Kosbab, and Landen Meyerdirk each generated one hit apiece in the narrow loss.

Meyerdirk also had one stolen base.

FA   000 000 000-0 5 0

JX   000 100 000-1 3 1

Spencer Chirpich (LP) and Ethan Hurn. Ryan Rasche (WP), Ethan Olesen (8), Will Larson (9, SV) and Carter Snyder, Mason Pohlmann (8).

LOB–Fairmont 11, Jackson 3. 2B–Spencer Chirpich (FMT) 2.