Purser pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout, plus homered in the bottom of the first, to propel the top-seeded Chancho’s to a 6-0 victory over the second-seeded Blacksmith Fork Trappers on

Day 2 of the American Legion Utah Class AA State Tournament, which is being contested at The Yard in Hyrum.

The Chancho’s, composed primarily of recent Bear River, Mountain Crest and Ridgeline graduates, will now square off against the (Bear River) Blue Bears in Saturday’s title game, which will start at 11 a.m. There will be an if-necessary true championship contest later in the day should the third-seeded Blue Bears prevail.

The Bear Bears punched their ticket to the finals with a hard-fought 5-4 triumph over the Trappers in Friday’s elimination game.

Purser provided the Chancho’s (21-4) with the only offense they would need when he lofted a two-out solo shot over the fence in center in the home half of the first. The designated hosts extended their advantage to 3-0 in the second inning, courtesy of a run-scoring single by Conner Thomson and a sacrifice fly by Easton Goodliffe.

Goodliffe made it 4-0 with a RBI single in the fourth frame. Thomson, who just completed his sophomore season at Preston, then gave the Chancho’s a 6-0 cushion with a two-out, two-run single to left one inning later.

Meanwhile, Purser was dominant on the mound as he limited the Trappers (24-8) to three hits — all singles — struck out nine and only walked three. Of the reigning Herald Journal All-Valley Player of the Year’s 98 pitches, 70 went for strikes. Purser also singled in another one of his at-bats.

It was a balanced offensive performance by the Chancho’s, who accumulated 12 hits by eight different players. Thomson led the charge as he went 3 for 3 at the plate with three RBIs and one run. Goodliffe chipped in with a pair of base knocks and runs.

Brok Buttars, Mason Smith and Jace Jorgensen all singled for the Trappers, plus Smith walked in his other two at-bats. Kayden Cullimore went the distance on the bump for Mountain Crest’s summer baseball program.

Unfortunately for the Trappers, they weren’t quite able to earn a Saturday rematch against the Chancho’s, although they certainly came close. Blacksmith Fork had runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh, but Blue Bears’ relief pitcher Hudson Nelson slammed the door with a strikeout.

Sam Rowser came through with a two-run, two-out single to pare the Trappers’ seventh-inning deficit to 5-4. Blacksmith Fork plated its first two runs in the fifth frame courtesy of a double by Ethan Nielsen.

The Blue Bears (10-9), who won by one run in Thursday’s elimination game against the (Sky View) Snow Devils, jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a trio of third-inning runs, highlighted by a two-run triple by Jaxson Theurer. The designed visitors plated their other two runs in the top of the sixth — the first on a double by Ethan Higgs.

Nelson and Kazon Hawes contributed with two base knocks apiece for the Blue Bears, who lost to the Trappers by a 10-5 scoreline on Day 1 of the tourney. Broxton Gardner was clutch on the mound for the Blue Bears as he held the Trappers to a pair of runs on five hits and five free passes in six complete.

Mason Leishman went the distance on the bump for Blacksmith Fork, scattered seven hits, fanned two and walked one. Cullimore fared well offensively for the Trappers as he contributed with a pair of runs, hits — including a double — free passes.

Cullimore was the American Legion Northern Utah League co-Player of the Year, alongside Goodliffe, a recent Bear River graduate, of the Chancho’s. The Chancho’s and Trappers shared the regular season league title.