Hancock's Chase Keranen takes a lead off second in a game against Jeffers Wednesday at the Hancock Driving Park. (Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette)

HANCOCK — The Hancock Bulldogs baseball team wrapped up their regular season on the baseball diamond with a 7-6 walk-off win over the Jeffers Jets at the Hancock Driving Park on Wednesday. The teams played just one seven-inning contest.

“It was a good battle today,” stated Bulldogs coach Travis Pietila. “We came back in the late innings and scrapped out a win.”

It was a back-and-forth battle between the rivals with two lead changes. The Bulldogs (11-10) got on the board first with a two-run first inning — all with two outs against them.

A single by Chase Keranen and a walk by Benny Keranen set the stage for RBIs for Brayden Larson, he did not disappoint. He poked a grounder through the left side clearing the bases.

The Jets (19-7) rallied with one in the second and another run in the third, but the Bulldogs followed the same flight pattern and now led 4-2 after three. Their lead however was short lived as the Jets tied it with a two run fourth inning.

In that frame, Blake Heltunen was hit by a pitch and came home on a double by Nick Andrews to deep center. Andrews scored on an error, and the game was tied at four.

After Jets pitcher Levi Kinnunen put down the Bulldogs in the bottom part of the fourth, the Jets took off again and gained their first lead of the game in the top fifth with two runs. That rally started with a walk to catcher Pierce Johnson and was followed by a triple off the bat of Brogan Turner. Turner came home due to an error, and the Jets led by two, 6-4.

However, the Bulldogs were not done. They tied it with their own two-run rally in the sixth. Pitcher Caleb Isaacson reached on an error. He was joined on the base paths by Chase Keranen and came home on a hard-hit double by Benny Keranen. Chase Keranen home on a fielders choice to knot this one at six.

While the Jets had the go-ahead run by way of Cody Turner just 90 feet away and one out in the top of the seventh, but that is where he stayed as the Bulldogs completed the circuit to win.

With two outs, Ned Larson hit a hard hit ball to third that was misplayed. An overthrow to first put Larson on second. It was a short stop for the senior Larson, as Isaacson brought him home with a base hit just a batter later.

“Caleb gets the game ball,” said his coach. “He pitched well and hit the walk-off.”

While the loss was tough for Jets coach Luke Paul, he was pleased with how his boys played.

“I told them they played well, and we can’t win them all. That’s baseball.”

Up next

Districts start next week with the Bulldogs facing Negaunee, and the Jets taking on Ontonagon.