BATTLE CREEK -- The Saline High School baseball team hopes the third time can be the charm. After defeating Saginaw Heritage 3-1 at C.O. Brown Stadium on Friday, the Hornets (33-5) advanced to their third consecutive MHSAA Division 1 state championship game.

Saline finished as runner-up each of the past two seasons.

On paper, the matchup with Heritage looked like a pitchers' duel, with 11-0 Al Zeiher of Saline, who had only given up five earned runs all season entering Friday's semifinal, taking on 9-2 Michigan State commitment Jeff Kinley and his 1.49 ERA.

Though the pitchers were sharp, it was more of an all-around defensive duel than just a battle of arms, with both teams making solid contact and putting the onus on fielding.

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The Hawks put a chink the Hornets' armor first, getting on the scoreboard first as Tyler Woolever led off the bottom of the third with a single, advanced to third base on a throwing error Zeiher and scoring on a single by James Hall.

Zeiher avoided disaster by striking out the next batter he faced.

"I had to bear down," Zeiher said. "I kinda let those guys down throwing that ball, so I had to throw strikes, get ahead."

With first base open, Zeiher intentionally walked Kinley to load the bases, then proceeded to strike out the No. 4 and 5 hitters.

"I always want to attack a hitter, I'm never going to back down from a hitter, but coach said we're going to walk him, and it worked out. Can't blame him," Zeiher said.

"We thought he was their best hitter," said Saline coach Scott Theisen of Kinley, a .421 hitter. "First base was open, one out, pretty much, in our book, a no brainer. Don't let their best kid beat you and set up a double play."

The Hornets got the run back in the top of the fourth. Zeiher hit a two-out double to deep center field and his courtesy runner, Colin Drumm, scored on a Garret Gordon RBI single.

Saline ended up doing all its damage with its back against the wall.

Mark Sheridan hit a single to rightfield and scored the go-ahead run on a gap single by Cameron Keller to right-center in the top of the fifth with two outs. Tim Bruley added an insurance-run for Saline in the seventh, scoring on a bases-loaded past ball with -- again -- two down.

"They count the same way whether there's zero, one or two outs, but it sure does feel better when you get a two-out run," Thiesen said.

Saginaw coach Bob Andrezejewski couldn't help but feel like his team had let a golden opportunity slip away by leaving the bases loaded in the third.

"That was our chance. We had a good batting order coming up and he threw some great pitches," Andrezejewski said. "You gotta give the pitcher all the credit. He hit his spots and beared down."

Both Kinley and Zeiher went the distance, with Zeiher surrendering three hits, striking out eight, and walking two. Kinley gave up seven hits, struck out three and also walked a pair.

"We knew going in that Saline is a very good offensive hitting team, and honestly they're used to that kind of pitching," Andrezejewski said. "We played good defense, Jeff threw strikes, thats all you could ask for."

The Hornets will face a familiar foe in the championship game, as Southeastern Conference rival Pioneer beat Macomb L'Anse Creuse, 12-2, in a five-inning mercy rule-shortened contest.

"Attack, attack, attack. Play our game. we don't have to do anything different," Zeiher said of what will be his third attempt at a championship. "They're a good club. It's gonna be a battle so we'll come ready."

Saline swept the Pioneers in a doubleheader in the teams' only meeting on May 24.

"They're playing a lot better, and I'm sure they'll swing bats a lot better," Theisen said. "What we did earlier doesn't really mean much tomorrow."

Peter Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by e-mail at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.