Junior JJ Montenegro secured his second win in a 12-hour span with a phenomenal outing, hurling 6.1 innings of four-hit work to complete a surreal 24 hours for the Jesuit Dallas baseball program, vaulting the Rangers past Oak Ridge, 3-0, to advance to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) 6A Region II Final on Saturday morning at Dallas Baptist University.

Montenegro, who earned the win with two innings of work during Jesuit's 3-2, extra-inning victory on Saturday night, took the mound on Saturday, finishing the contest with four strikeouts and one walk.  The Rangers (33-8-2) peppered the War Eagles (23-13) eight hits, led by senior Pete Hamrick, who went 3-for-3 with a RBI and run scored.

Three members of the Jesuit senior class drove in the team's three runs, with fourth year Bryce Bonner cracking a double to deep left center field in the first inning before senior Jared Bond launched a home run to right center in the sixth to provide Jesuit with a critical insurance run.  Junior Jacob Palisch entered in the bottom of the seventh; retiring the final two outs to earn his second consecutive save.

In the first, Hamrick singled to right with two outs before Bonner cracked a 1-1 fastball that landed feet shy of the warning track, providing the buffer needed for Hamrick to score and give the Blue and Gold the early advantage.  Montenegro was efficient from the outset, retiring the first eight batters in order before allowing his first hit of the game with two away in the third.  The junior forced an inning ending fly out two pitches later to eliminate the threat.

After Jesuit left the bases loaded in the third, Oak Ridge singled to lead off the fourth.  Montenegro forced the War Eagles' number-three hitter into a 1-6-3 double play to eradicate the scoring threat, picking up his second strikeout of the contest to end the inning. 

Senior Kyle Muller singled to left in the bottom of the fifth to place a runner on after Montenegro logged another 1-2-3 inning.  Stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch, Muller scored on a sharp single up the middle by Hamrick, rolling under the outstretched glove of the second baseman and into the outfield to spot Jesuit a 2-0 lead.

Montenegro faced his toughest spot in the sixth, walking the number nine-hitter and allowing a single to the top of the order.  Facing two runners on with only one out, the junior responded by forcing a groundout to first, ending the frame by snagging a sharply hit groundball and converting the underhand toss to Hamrick.

After fouling off the first pitch of the Rangers' sixth, Bond worked a 3-1 count from the War Eagles' pitcher.  The senior then crushed a high fastball over the scoreboard in left center, sending the Jesuit dugout into a frenzy while propelling the squad to a three-run advantage. 

In the seventh, Palisch entered after an Oak Ridge single, forcing a pair of groundouts to end the game and completing a wild 24-hour span for the Rangers.  After falling in game one, 3-0, the Rangers won, 3-2 in an extra-inning contest on Friday evening to force Saturday's decisive game three. 

Jesuit's win over the War Eagles is the third consecutive series to go three games, with the Rangers upending Belton in the UIL Area Round before a three-game triumph over Highland Park in the UIL Region II Quarterfinal.  Jesuit lost game one to both Belton and to Oak Ridge, returning to capture the series on both occasions.

The Rangers will next battle Atascocita, in the Regional Final, with the first pitch for game one scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas.  Game two will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday and a possible game three is slated for 12 p.m., with all three games scheduled for the home of the Baylor Bears in Waco.