If the Jeannette baseball team wants to qualify for the WPIAL Class A playoffs, it is going to need some help.

The Jayhawks also need to defeat Jefferson-Morgan on Tuesday, and they need help from West Greene.

The Jayhawks dropped a 6-1 decision at Jefferson-Morgan on Monday.

The Jayhawks hurt their chances by allowing four unearned runs, having baserunning mistakes and not getting clutch hits.

“This game was the story of our section all year,” Jeannette coach Marcus Clarkson said. “In nonsection games, we got the big hits. In the section, we get a couple guys on and cannot get them in.

“We had a couple good at-bats, we hit a couple line drives, but they did not drop. As I told the team, if you are not going to play mistake-free, you must score more than one run. We did not play mistake-free early.”

Jefferson-Morgan senior lefthander John Woodward was strong early. He allowed only four hits and struck out nine.

The Rockets took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Woodward’s popup in the infield with two outs fell for an error, which allowed Jaymison Robinson to score. Courtesy runner Dayten Marion later scored on a throwing error.

Jeannette pitcher Jaydin Kennedy struck out seven but was hurt by fielding errors.

Jefferson-Morgan, which clinched a playoff berth, took a 3-0 lead when Brayden Ellsworth scored on a ground out in the third inning, and the fourth unearned run came in the fourth inning when Robinson reached on an error, swiped second and scored Deakyn DeHoet’s single.

Jeannette threatened in fourth, but Noah Rattigan was cut down at home while trying to score on a single by Kennedy.

“We made a couple baserunning mistakes,” Clarkson said. “That cost us.”

Jeannette got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning when Evan Yargeau homered, but DeHoet answered with a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

“The season is not over,” Clarkson said. “We have to hope West Greene defeats Carmichaels and we defeat Jefferson-Morgan.”

Jeannette almost got help, but West Greene failed to hold a late lead and lost to Carmichaels.

The win was also special for Jefferson-Morgan coach John Curtis, who is retiring after 42 years of coaching the Rockets.

“I won my first game here, and I won my final game at home,” Curtis said. “John pitched a great game. He threw strikes and mixed up his pitches. The defense also played well.

“We also got a couple key hits in three spots. The kids have worked hard all season.”