Hancock's Brayden Larson connects for a base hit during a game Wednesday against Jeffers in Stanton. (Eddie O’Neill/For the Gazette)

STANTON — It has been said that the third time is a charm. After Wednesday’s doubleheader, the Jeffers Jets baseball team are believers. The Jets and the Hancock Bulldogs met for the second and third time this week.

The Bulldogs won the first game at the Bostwick Tournament on Saturday, and they came from behind to win the second game of the week, 6-4, in the opening game Wednesday. However, the third matchup between these two teams belonged to the Jets. They squeaked out a 1-0 win and stopped Hancock’s winning streak at nine games.

In the eyes of their coach, Joe Romano, the win came down to defense.

“Our defensive plays were the key to victory today,” he stated. “Our pitcher (Brogan Turner) did a good job.”

Turner earned the shutout win. He went the distance of all six innings giving up just three hits. Along the way he struck out three and walked one.

With Benny Keranen on the mound for the Bulldogs, this game was a pitching duel through the first four frames. The Jets got on the board in the fifth with Turner helping his own cause with a one-out double. He came home two batters later thanks to an RBI single up the middle by Caleb Isaacson.

While a walk to Hancock’s Todd Kilpela put the tying run on first, that is as far as he got. This one ended with a 4-3 putout off the bat of Chase Keranen.

“They made all the routine plays,” said Hancock coach Luke Paul. “Credit to them; that’s baseball.”

In the first game, the Jets led 3-1 after two. A Turner double put the Jets ahead by that score. While the Bulldogs added a run in the third, so did the Jets. It was now a 4-2 Jets’ lead after five.

In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs tied it at four courtesy of Brayden Larson. He roped a single to right field that knotted the game at four.

The Bulldogs then blanked the Jets in the bottom of the sixth and forced extra innings. It would only take one, however.

In the top of the seventh, back-to-back base hits by Trent Pietila and Connor Helminen led to them both crossing home plate.

While Nate Thompson was the Bulldogs pitcher to start the game, Helminen threw the last three innings and earned the victory. He gave up just two hits and zero runs. He struck out one and walked four.

Cam Anderson was the losing pitcher. He went all seven innings allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits. He struck out six and walked six.

Paul summed up the difference between the win and the loss.

“In game one, we manufactured runs and got on base and moved guys over,” he said. “We couldn’t get them home in game two. Again, baseball is a funny game in that you can mercy-rule a team on Saturday (12-1 Hancock win) and then play two close ones a few days later.”

After wins for both teams, the Jets improved to 8-3 and the Bulldogs moved to 17-3.