Bulls, Pirates pick up first-game wins in final Region 10C baseball series

The Jackson Bulls are a game up on the Luverne Redbirds in the battle to determine the final Region 10C representative in the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Tournament.

Trailing 3-1 after five innings, the visiting Bulls scored once in the top of the sixth and three more times in the eighth and went on to defeat Luverne 5-3 on Wednesday night. Game two of the best-of-three series is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday in Jackson; a third matchup is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday in Luverne if necessary. 

Will Larson homered to help pace the Jackson offense on Wednesday, while both Blake Evans and Chris Gumto singled and doubled and J.D. Schneider added a two-bagger. Javen Baumgarn tossed 1 1/3 innings in relief of starting pitcher Ryan Rasche to get the mound victory. Tucker Sorenson earned the save.

In the meantime, in Windom, the Region 10C top-seeded Pirates edged No. 2 Fairmont 7-5 on Wednesday in Windom's Island Park in the first game of their best-of-three series to determine seeding at state. Game two is at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Fairmont. The Pirates would host a game three, if needed, at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Martins outhit the Pirates 11-8 Wednesday night, but Windom started quickly with four runs in the first and held on. Only two of the Pirates' seven runs in the game were earned.