File photo by Jeremy Behnke Hanska’s Kevin Larson watches the ball as he hits a lead-off home run during Saturday’s Region 2C amateur baseball playoff game against Courtland in Springfield. Courtland won the game 4-3 in 11 innings.

SPRINGFIELD — Heading into Saturday’s Region 2C amateur baseball playoffs, it was tough to predict the winner of No. 4 Hanska and No. 5 Courtland.

The teams split a pair of one-run games during the regular season, and Saturday’s game was probably the best of the three.

Courtland’s Cade Bushard had the game-winning RBI in the top of the 11th inning when he drove an Aaron Portner offering to center field, allowing Cole Backer to score from third. Courtland then closed the door in the bottom of the 11th and hung on for a 5-4 win.

The win means Courtland will now play No. 1 seed New Ulm at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Johnson Park.

Hanska will play Lamberton in an elimination bracket game at 11 a.m. on Sunday (August 2) at Johnson Park.

Backer pitched four innings and earned the win for Courtland. He didn’t allow a hit and he struck out two.

Portner pitched four innings and took the loss. He allowed two hits and struck out one.

Portner entered the game when it was tied 3-3 in the top of the eighth. There, he came in with runners on second and third and nobody out. He intentionally walked Hunter Johnson to load the bases, then got some great defense behind him.

With Dave Hatle at the plate, Portner got Hatle to hit a chopper to third. There, Brady Mosenden, who had just come out of the game as the starting pitcher, threw out Teddy Giefer at the plate for the first out.

Portner then got another spectacular defensive play, this time by Kevin Larson. Larson fielded another chopper and threw Chase Meyer out at the plate for the second out. Portner then got Backer to fly out to keep the game tied at 3-3.

Hanska put the pressure on Meyer, Courtland’s starter, right away when Larson led off with a solo home run.

Maddox Mortensen tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second with an RBI single that scored Johnson, but Hanska got another run in the bottom of the second after Mosenden doubled and came home on Derek Wilfahrt’s two-out single.

Hanska’s Gabe Knowles hit the second home run of the game, a shot to right field in the sixth, and that gave the Lakers a 3-1 lead at that point

But the Cubs tied the game in the eighth, ending Mosenden’s day on the mound. He went seven innings and allowed seven hits and struck out five. Meyer, the starter for Courtland, also went seven innings and allowed seven hits.