GLADSTONE — Trailing 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning, the Hancock Bulldogs baseball team had just three outs to play with if they wanted to live to fight another day. On back-to-back plays, they scored a run, and ended up defeating the Menominee Maroons, 3-2, in semifinal play in the Division 3 Region 17 tournament Wednesday.

The key rally was started by a Kirby Storm walk. Todd Kilpela also drew a walk, and Hancock quickly had a pair of runners on base. Chase Keranen sacrificed to move both runners into scoring position. Ben Keranen was then intentionally walked to load the bases.

Caleb Isaacson drew a walk, which scored Storm to tie the game at 2-2. Brayden Larson then singled to center field, scoring Kilpela and giving the Bulldogs the lead.

Isaac Wanala and Luciano Paoli both struck out to end the inning, but the damage had already been done.

In the bottom half of the inning, Tyler Bouty popped out to Kilpela. Jax Jasenovsky singled to center field. However Nate Nelson grounded out, and Urijah Linsmeier popped out, ending the inning and the game.

Hancock had the game’s lone baserunner in the first two innings when he led off the game with a walk, but he was left stranded three batters later. The same thing happened in the third, when Trent Pietila reached on an error, but three batters later, he had moved as far as second when the inning ended.

Menominee’s first baserunner came in the fourth when Garrett Carlson singled. But one batter later, the inning was over.

Hancock got two men on in the fifth, as Paoli and Storm both walked. However, Storm was tagged trying for second when Kilpela hit a ground ball. The same thing happened to Kilpela when Chase Keranen hit a ground ball as the next batter.

In the sixth, the Bulldogs broke through the scoreless tie.

Ben Keranen drew a walk to lead off. Isaacson then walked. Two batters later, Wanhala singled to center field, scoring Keranen in the process.

Menominee answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.

With one out, Blake Paasch singled to left field. Dylan Beal singled to short. Two batters later, Paasch scored on a passed ball, and then Beal scored on another one, giving the Maroons a 2-1 lead. However, Robert Finger grounded out to end the inning.

With the win, the Bulldogs advance to Saturday’s regional final against Manistee, who defeated Harrison, 2-1, in Gladstone. The winner of that game will face the winner of the Region 18 final between Traverse City St. Francis and Sanford Meridian at 3 p.m., also in Gladstone.