Cardiac-inducing comeback and shutout wins propel Jaguars to 6A finals

This was an incredible day of playoff action in Morris!

In back-to-back games facing teams they played just last week, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team hung tough through more adversity with multiple players coming through in the clutch. In the first elimination game today at Rambow Field in Morris, the Jaguars trailed 4-1 against Border West going into the seventh inning. They proceeded to send 14 straight batters to the plate in the top of the 7th before the Buccaneers defense recorded their first out. Across those 14 batters, the Jaguars scored 11 runs on 5 hits plus a string of walks and hit batsmen. The three-run deficit became a 12-4 lead before three outs came on the 15th, 16th and 17th B-B-E batters. The Jaguars scored 2 more runs on Cameron Loe's fielder's choice with a Border West error.

By the time Border West was up to bat in the bottom of the 7th, they trailed 14-4. B-B-E closer Brett DeRoo then took down the Buccaneers in order on a ground ball and two fly balls. Final score: B-B-E 14, Border West 4.

Game two today did not feature quite the drama of the first game, with B-B-E senior Ethan Mueller pitching a true gem and earning a complete-game shutout win by a 4-0 score against Upsala/Swanville Area. This improved their overall record to 18-7 as they advance to the program's fourth straight section championship series. They also played in the section finals in 2019.

NEXT: the Jaguars have a day to practice before turning to action on Thursday this week. Their next game is at 2:30 p.m. at Chizek Field in Morris. The opponent will be Parkers Prairie, who defeated U/SA today 9-1 in the Section 6A semifinals. The Patriots led 1-0 in the first inning and had an early surge going with the bases loaded on one out. The Panthers dug in, and they did not allow another run to be scored while they reeled off 9 unanswered runs. A lead of 3-1 for Parkers Prairie was expanded on when they scored 6 runs in the bottom of the sixth.

The Panthers are 21-3 overall. They were 12-2 in the Park Region Conference to win the title alone.

The Jaguars need revenge on their minds, as they owe Parkers Prairie for the gut-wrenching loss they suffered one year ago in the Section 6A finals. Last year, at Clarissa's ball field, the Jaguars lost 11-10 in 8 innings. The Panthers then blazed their way to the state finals before losing 4-1 to Springfield at Target Field in Minneapolis on June 21, 2024.