Heading into the Region 13C amateur baseball playoffs, Jackson Manager Scott Bahr said if his Bulls were simply able to get into the state Class C tournament, they would be the happiest number four seed around if that’s the way it worked out.
After Friday’s Game 2 of the Region Championship Series vs. Luverne, Jackson was the number two seed from the region for the state tourney, but the Bulls were left thinking about letting an opportunity to play the Redbirds one more time for the number one seed and the first-round state tournament bye that goes along with it.
Jackson held a 6-3 lead after eight innings, but the Redbirds scored three runs in the ninth and added five more in the tenth to win 11-6 and claim the best-of-three series in two games.
“We’ll be happy about being the number two seed (Saturday),” Bahr said. “(Friday) we won’t be. We’ll be upset about taking the best team around here and one of the better teams in the state to the limit. We lost 1-0 and then dang near forced a game three.”
Ryan Rasche and the Bulls led 6-3 after eight innings.
Rasche went out for the ninth inning to face batters 9, 1 and 2 for the Redbirds. He allowed a single, with a wild pitch moving the runner to second. Another hit gave Luverne runners on first and third with one out and marked the end of the night for the Bulls’ career wins leader.
“You can just hit rewind and say the same thing over and over about Ryan.” Bahr commented. He always gives a chance to win and he did better than that again. He gave us a lead, got us out of some jams and gave us a chance where we should have won a baseball game.”
Will Larson came on in relief and the Redbirds used a couple of walks, an error and a sacrifice fly to tie the game. The Bulls were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Luverne then scored three in the top of the tenth. Jackson got a couple of runners on base in the bottom of the tenth but was not able to get on the board.
“I’ll take responsibility for this. I decided to let Ryan see if he could finish the game,” Bahr said. “That way I’d be able to close with Will again Saturday knowing that we needed to win two games. Winning one game and then losing the next game was the same as losing this game in my mind, so we decided to do that, and it didn’t work out.
“I took a win away from Ryan there and that sucks. Ryan understood. We talked about it before he went out. We were hoping that they’d hit it at somebody, and they didn’t. Hats off to Luverne. They didn’t give up when they could have down 6-3 and they found a way to win a game.”
Jackson’s offense has been up and down during its playoff run but scored six runs against a familiar face on the mound in Collin Lovell, a draftee from Windom.
Jackson or JCC teams have faced him for years, the Bulls drafted him in 2014 and it’s the third time they’ve faced him this season.
“We’d been struggling offensively but we put the ball in play hard against potentially the best pitcher in the area and we put up six runs,” Bahr said. “We have to be able to find a way to win that game.”
The Bulls will play the Green Isle Irish in the opening round of the state tournament at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Delano.
The teams have one common opponent, the Milroy Irish.
Green Isle defeated Milroy 7-2 on June 17.
The Bulls were 2-1 vs. Milroy, losing 5-1 in the regular season and sweeping a playoff series, winning 17-0 in seven innings and 2-1.
REGION 13C PLAYOFFS
Championship series
Luverne (1) vs. Jackson (6)
Luverne wins series 2-0
Wednesday, Aug. 9 – Luverne 1, Jackson 0
Friday, Aug. 11 – Luverne 11, Jackson 6 (10 innings)
Third-place series
Fairmont (2) vs. Hadley (5)
Fairmont wins series 2-0
Wednesday, Aug. 9 – Fairmont 3, Hadley 2
Saturday, Aug. 12 – Fairmont 11, Hadley 9
Final Four
Luverne (1) vs. Hadley (5)
Luverne wins series 2-0
Wednesday, Aug. 2 – Luverne 5, Hadley 2
Monday, Aug. 7 – Luverne 13, Hadley 2 (8 innings)
Fairmont (2) vs. Jackson (6)
Jackson wins series 2-1
Wednesday, Aug. 2 – Fairmont 4, Jackson 3
Friday, Aug. 4 – Jackson 1, Fairmont 0
Monday, Aug. 7 – Jackson 7, Fairmont 2
Quarterfinals
Luverne (1) vs. Heron Lake (8)
Luverne wins series 2-0
Wednesday, July 26 – Luverne 15, Heron Lake 0 (7 innings)
Saturday, July 29 – Luverne 3, Heron Lake 0
Windom (4) vs. Hadley (5)
Hadley wins series 2-1
Wednesday, July 26 – Windom 6, Hadley 3
Saturday, July 29 – Hadley 5, Windom 0
Sunday, July 30 – Hadley 10, Windom 6
Fairmont (2) vs. Lakefield (7)
Fairmont wins series 2-0
Wednesday, July 26 – Fairmont 10, Lakefield 0 (7 innings)
Friday, July 28 – Fairmont 10, Lakefield 0 (8 innings)
Milroy Irish (3) vs. Jackson (6)
Jackson wins series 2-0
Wednesday, July 26 – Jackson 17, Milroy Irish 0 (7 innings)
Friday, July 28 – Jackson 2, Milroy Irish 1
LEAGUE PLAYOFF ROUND
Fairmont (1 FNL) bye
The Martins have a bye into the Region 13C Playoffs
Windom (2 FNL) bye
The Pirates have a bye into the Region 13C Playoffs
Jackson (3 FNL) vs. Pipestone (6 Gopher)
Jackson wins series 2-0
Wednesday, July 19 – Jackson 4, Pipestone 1
Friday, July 21 – Jackson 3, Pipestone 1
Lakefield (4 FNL) vs. Ruthton (5 Gopher)
Series tied 1-1
Wednesday, July 19 – Lakefield 12, Ruthton 2 (7 innings)
Friday, July 21 – Ruthton 6, Lakefield 4
Sunday, July 23 – at Lakefield, 2 p.m.
Heron Lake (5 FNL) vs. Worthington (4 Gopher)
Heron Lake wins series 2-0
Wednesday, July 19 – Heron Lake 5, Worthington 3 (11 innings)
Saturday, July 22 – Heron Lake 9, Worthington 3
Fox Lake (6 FNL) vs. Hadley (3 Gopher)
Hadley wins series 2-0
Wednesday, July 19 – Hadley 3, Fox Lake 0
Saturday, July 22 – Hadley 18, Fox Lake 2 (7 innings)
Milroy Irish (2 Gopher) bye
The Irish have a bye into the Region 13C Playoffs
Luverne (1 Gopher) bye
The Redbirds have a bye into the Region 13C Playoffs