Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Jackson Bode, right, smiles and gathers with teammates at home plate to greet Jaden Drill (44) after Drill’s grand slam against the New Ulm Brewers in the Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament championship game Saturday at Riverside Park in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD — On Aug. 5, the Courtland Cubs qualified for the state tournament for the first time in 78 years.

On Saturday at Riverside Park, the Cubs added the title of Region 2C champions to their name.

Behind Jackson Bode’s four hits and Jaden Drill’s grand slam, the Cubs earned a 9-6 win over the top-seeded New Ulm Brewers in the Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament championship game.

The Cubs started the day by holding off the Stark Longhorns 8-7 in the semifinals, moving them on to a meeting with the Brewers, who knocked the Cubs into the elimination bracket last Tuesday in New Ulm with a 2-1 win.

Saturday’s championship game was a winner-take-all battle, however, and both teams got their share of offense. But Bode’s 4-for-5 day at the plate, which saw him double, score three runs and drive in a run, and Jaden Drill’s grand slam were enough to carry the Cubs’ offense to the region title.

“It feels awesome,” Bode said. “Got a great team playing behind me when I pitch or when I’m in the field, so everybody’s going to pick each other up and just have fun together.”

The Class C state tournament begins this Friday. The Cubs will have a little longer to scout the competition and enjoy some rest if they want it, however, after earning a first-round bye.

“Boys talked about playing a game in between, just keep us fresh, get our pitcher’s arms going,” Bode said. “But it feels good to be top 32 already and get that first-round bye.”

Teddy Giefer got the win in seven innings of work for Courtland, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while fanning six. Teagan Kamm pitched a perfect eighth inning for Courtland, while Corey Schultz entered in the ninth, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.

Mitch Bockenstedt got the start and took the loss for New Ulm, allowing five runs in five innings on seven hits while striking out two.

Josh Seidl led New Ulm at the plate, going 2 for 3 with two runs scored, while Schaefer was 2 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored. Hunter Ranweiler was 1 for 4 with three RBIs and a double.

The Cubs got on the board right away in the top of the first after an RBI single by Nolan Drill scored Bode, who led off with a single. Carter Lang laced a single to right in the top of the second before Evan Wiltscheck singled him in for a 2-0 Cubs lead.

Andrew Peters had a one-put double to right-center in the bottom of the second and later came home on a delayed double steal attempt. On that steal, Zach More, who blooped a single into right with one out, took off for second after a strikeout had two outs in the inning. More was tagged out running back to first, but he bought enough time for Peters to score from third before the tag, putting the Brewers on the board.

In the fifth, Maddox Mortensen singled to lead off and was later brought home on an RBI double to right by Bode to put the Cubs up 3-1. A wild pitch saw Bode score a second run and give the Cubs a 4-1 lead.

The Cubs then went up 5-1 on a sac fly from Nolan Drill that scored Cade Bushard, who singled, stole second and took third on the wild pitch that scored Bode.

Trevor Nissen tripled in Ranweiler in the bottom of the sixth to have New Ulm down 5-2.

After a flyout, Peters grounded to first baseman Jaden Drill, who threw the ball to Giefer. Giefer then ran to first and worked to apply a tag on Peters as he ran by, but Peters was called safe, allowing Nissen to cross home plate.

But after a meeting between the umpires, the call was overturned to the third out, wiping out the second run of the inning for the Brewers as they trailed 5-2 after six.

In the seventh, Bode collected his second leadoff single of the game, this time off Brewers reliever Adam Nilson.

“Saw a lot of fastballs today,” Bode said. “Usually I like hitting off-speed, but fastballs … if they’re going to throw them down the middle, I’ll hit them.”

Bushard was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. A walk to Nolan Drill then brought up his younger brother Jaden, who got a hold of a fastball and sent it off the scoreboard in right for a 9-2 Cubs lead.

Jaden Drill, a 250-pound slugger that bats from the left side of the plate, spent many years playing for New Ulm High School and for New Ulm in legion baseball. But he played a thorn in the side of New Ulm on Saturday with his late grand slam.

“The game before this against Stark, I was not seeing the ball,” Jaden Drill said. “The beginning of this game, I was not seeing the ball. Just struggling all day and I finally found one and it kind of just lifted the weight off my shoulders. … [the grand slam] was a fastball, it was inside.”

New Ulm got two runs back in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run single by Hunter Ranweiler. The Brewers trailed 9-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Colton Schaefer singled in Jace Schaefer before a fielder’s choice by Ranweiler brought in another run and had New Ulm down 9-6.

Nissen then got a hold of a pitch and sent it deep to left-center, but the catch was made and the Cubs were Region 2C champions.

“Ninety percent of [these guys] I grew up with,” Jaden Drill said. “So it’s just fun bringing everyone together and competing.”

The Brewers will next take on the Waterville Indians at 1 p.m. Sunday in Delano in a first-round matchup at state. After their first-round state bye, the Cubs will meet the winner of this Sunday’s Maple Lake-Union Hill game on the weekend of Aug. 26.

REGION 2C DRAFT

After the game, the Region 2C draft was held, with managers from each state-qualifying team being allowed to draft three pitchers each from the nine eliminated 2C teams. All pitchers drafted are only allowed to pitch in the state tournament and are not allowed to hit.

With the win, the Cubs got the first pick and used it on Springfield lefty Justin Haugo. Haugo struck out four and allowed no runs in three innings of relief Friday night in the Tigers’ 14-inning, season-ending loss to Stark.

New Ulm then picked Leavenworth’s Jackson Huiras for their first-round pick before Stark took Hanska’s Sam Knowles.

In the second round, Courtland took Leavenworth’s Dylan Hillesheim, while New Ulm took Springfield’s Jordan Milbrath and Stark took Leavenworth’s Jevan Richert. The final round saw Courtland take Hanska’s Aaron Portner, New Ulm pick Searles’ Casey Lux and Stark take Sleepy Eye’s Alan Woitas.