Courtland clinches state birth in win over Stark
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SPRINGFIELD -- For the first time since 1945, the No. 3 Courtland Cubs are going to the Class C State Tournament after winning 3-2 against the No. 2 Stark Longhorns in a Region 2C Amateur Baseball Playoff game Saturday at Riverside Park.
Jackson Bode picked up the win for Courtland, getting two strikeouts while allowing one earned run on two hits in seven innings pitched. Nolan Drill got the save, striking out four and allowing no hits in two innings pitched.
At the plate for the Cubs, Drill was 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Bode was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Teagan Kamm added a hit, an RBI and a run scored for Courtland.
Jon Kopacek took the loss for Stark, getting one strikeout while allowing two earned runs on three hits in five innings pitched.
At the plate for the Longhorns, Arian Saenz had a hit and a run scored, while Nick Labat had an RBI.
Stark was the first to score, with Sean Mathiowetz reaching home on a groundout by Labat in the first inning. Courtland took the lead in the third, with Kamm batting in Maddox Mortensen and Bode reaching home on an error, going up 2-1.
Courtland added to its lead in the top of the fifth, with Kamm being brought home on a Drill single. Stark responded in the bottom of the inning with Saenz scoring on an error.
Drill took the mound in the eighth inning and sealed the game away for the Cubs, retiring six straight, including four strikeouts. With the final strikeout of the game, Courtland clinched a playoff berth in the State Tournament.
Courtland advances to play No. 1 New Ulm Sunday at 1 p.m. at Johnson Park in New Ulm. Stark gets another chance to make it to state by playing No. 4 Hanska Sunday at 4 p.m. at Johnson Park.