Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Hanska’s Gabe Knowles runs to third for a triple during the Lakers’ Region 2C elimination bracket playoff game with Leavenworth on Sunday at Riverside Park in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — Trailing 2-0 against the Leavenworth Orioles on Sunday in a Region 2C amateur baseball elimination bracket game, the Hanska Lakers’ offense came to life for four runs in the bottom of the third on the way to a 6-3 win at Riverside Park.

The win moves the Lakers on to a 7:30 p.m. elimination bracket game on Friday night in Springfield. The winner of that game will clinch a state tourney berth and move on to play Stark at 1 p.m. Saturday in another elimination bracket game in New Ulm.

Chris Knowles went 2 for 4 with an RBI to lead the Lakers at the plate, while Aaron Portner got the win in six innings of work on the mound. Aaron Portner gave up five hits and three walks for one earned run while striking out two.

Sam Knowles pitched the final three innings for Hanska, allowing one run while fanning one.

Jevan Richert pitched eight innings in the loss for Leavenworth, giving up nine hits and a walk for five earned runs. He struck out two.

Dylan Hillesheim went 2 for 3 with a pair of walks for Leavenworth, while Richert was 2 for 5 with an RBI.

The Orioles struck right away in the first inning after Jaden Mickelson singled with one out. After Richert reached on an error, Mickelson moved to third and later scored on a pitch that got to the backstop.

Leavenworth added another run for a 2-0 lead in the top of the third after Richert singled in Hillesheim from second.

Hanska then stormed back in the bottom of the inning, getting singles from Sam Knowles, Lucas Fredin, Eric Portner and Chris Knowles. Gabe Knowles got the final hit of the inning, driving in two on a triple to deep center for a 4-2 lead.

Kevin Larson had a sac fly to start the scoring in the third for Hanska, while Eric Portner’s single tied the game at 2-all.

Eric Portner dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt to score Derek Wilfahrt in the fifth for a 5-2 Hanska lead. In the seventh inning, Hanska added its final run on an RBI fielder’s choice by Chris Knowles.

The Orioles got a sac fly from Mickelson in the eighth and loaded the bases in the ninth, but Sam Knowles caught a liner hit back to him for the final out of the game.