Left-handed pitchers don't scare Parkers Prairie.
Class 1A baseball's top seed in the state tournament has found a way past two of them now. The Panthers (22-2) used a five-run seventh inning to defeat Hinckley-Finlayson 6-3 in the semifinals on Friday at Chaska Athletic Park.
Parkers Prairie had a similar scenario late in Thursday's quarterfinals against Badger-Greenbush-Middle River with lefty Trevor Robinson. The Panthers trailed 2-0 going into the sixth but prevailed 3-2.
“We came into this game just confident seeing another lefty here,” Panthers senior first baseman Jake Thoennes said.
Left-handed Jaguars sophomore pitcher Travis Visser kept his team close with five hits allowed and one earned run allowed. He threw six strikeouts in six innings.
“I just felt loose and ready to go,” Visser said.
The Jaguars' fielding took away some opportunities for the Panthers but the team also committed four errors.
Parkers Prairie left three runners on base through the first three innings before designated hitter Zach Gappa, a junior, drilled a RBI single to score second baseman Hunter McDaniel.
Hinckley-Finlayson (19-7) threatened to tie in the top of the fifth with two runners in scoring position. Panthers junior pitcher Levi Arnold threw a strikeout, and the infield got a ground out to escape the inning.
The Jaguars scored three times in sixth to take the lead. Senior Dunkley hit a two-RBI double followed by senior designated hitter Trent Gustafson's two-RBI single.
Thoennes started things strong in the top of the seventh against Hinckley-Finlayson with a double. It led to loading the bases and getting Visser off the mound.
Parkers Prairie ignited the scoring from there with two-run singles by short stop Casey Peterson and McDaniel. The Jaguars couldn't recover as the Panthers retired the side.
“Everybody just focused on their at-bat and did their part,” Panthers coach Derek Denny said.
Parkers Prairie will play Springfield (20-6) for the state title on Monday at Target Field.
