Jeffers’ Pierce Johnson takes a lead off of first base while L’Anse’s Jackson Rice holds him close during a game Tuesday in Stanton. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

STANTON — The Jeffers Jets baseball squad continued their winning ways on Tuesday with a sweep of the visiting L’Anse Purple Hornets. It’s their fourth win in a row and puts them at 11-2 in the last few weeks of the regular season.

They downed L’Anse 10-2 and 2-1. Over the weekend, they swept the Westwood Patriots 9-1 and 12-1. In the past four games, they have outscored their opponents 33-5. While runs win games, Jets coach Luke Paul has been impressed with his team’s pitching and defense. According to him, that’s been a key to success.

“Our pitchers have done really well,” he said. “They are throwing strikes and have shown great control, and that’s what we need. Our defense is there to back them up making the plays that need to be made.”

In the opening game on Tuesday, Chase Kinnunen earned the win for the Jets. He allowed just two hits in four innings of work. He struck out three and walked three.

While the Jets took a 1-0 lead after the first inning, it was tied at one after the second. However, Jeffers pulled ahead in the third with both Levi Frahm and Cody Turner singling and scoring. They then sealed the deal in the fourth with seven runs. While Frahm and Cody Turner both got RBI hits, so did Brogan Turner and Bryson Kangas.

Jets’ reliever Brogan Turner threw the final fifth inning for Jeffers to the tune of three-up and three-down.

Timely errors by the Purple Hornets (5-8) certainly did not help their cause. They gave up four errors in the first game much to frustration of their coach Chad Cichosz.

“Our fielding has improved, but we still have a way to go,” he said. “Added to the errors, is the fact that we had runners at second and third twice and couldn’t get them home. The second game was a lot cleaner.”

The Purple Hornets made no errors in that one but still lost 2-1. This one was a pitching duel.

Lane Johnson started for the Jets going three innings striking out four and walking just two. However, it was Cody Turner who earned the win as neither team scored until the to the fourth inning when he took over. He struck out four and walked none over the course of one and two-thirds innings.

With the score tied 1-1 in the top of fifth inning, Pierce Johnson broke the tie with a lead off single to left field. He advanced to third on a Nick Andrews bunt and came home a batter later as Chase Kinnunen belted a triple to right field. It was now 2-1 with just three outs to go and the Purple Hornets went down swinging -literally. Ryan Turpeinen, Landon Heltunen and Jackson Rice all went down swinging.

“Losing 2-1 to a team as talented as Jeffers is respectable,” stated Cichosz. “I thought both teams pitched well, so it came down to who would make the fewest mistakes and hit the ball harder.”

UP NEXT

The Jets traveled to Hancock on Wednesday and will face Ironwood on Friday at home in Stanton. The Purple Hornets will welcome the Calumet Copper Kings Thursday with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m.