Courtesy of Myron Fluegge

COURTLAND — Teddy Giefer pitched the Courtland Cubs to a no-hit shutout on Sunday with a 10-0 win over the Essig Bluejays in seven innings in Tomahawk East League play.

Giefer hit the first batter of the game, but then after a sacrifice bunt, retired the next 15 Essig batters in a row.

In the sixth inning, Giefer gave up his only three walks of the game to load the bases. But with two outs, the Cubs third baseman Carter Lang made a diving stop of a sharp ground ball off the bat of Nick Stadick and threw to first base to preserve the no hitter. Giefer found his control in the seventh inning by striking out the side and ending with 13 strikeouts out of the 21 outs. The game ended with the 10-run rule in effect.

Courtland got their first three runs in the third inning on a leadoff single by Cade Bushard, two walks, an RBI single by Giefer and several wild pitches. In the fifth inning the flood gates opened for the Cubs. Nolan Drill and Giefer singles, and Lang reached base on a sacrifice, setting the stage for Jaden Drill’s Grand Slam home run. Tag Voges had an RBI single to add a fifth run.

Essig’s starting pitcher, Zach Riederer, was relieved in the fifth inning, with Jake Stadick finishing the game. The Essig hurlers gave up a total of 11 hits on the game, struck out three, walked seven and hit two batters.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, and with the help of three walks, Bushard delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single to drive in the final two runs for Courtland to give them 10 runs. It was Bushard’s third hit of the game. Giefer, Jaden Drill and Jackson Bode each had two hits. Maddox Mortensen scored two times and had two stolen bases.

With the win, the Courtland Cubs maintained their second-place tie with the Leavenworth Orioles in the Tomahawk East League. Both teams have a 9-2 record, just half a game behind the 8-0 first-place New Ulm Brewers. The Courtland Cubs will play the New Ulm Brewers twice in the next two weeks. On Sunday, July 7, the game is in Courtland, with a 5:00 p.m. start time. Then on Thursday, July 11, Courtland travels to New Ulm for a 7:30 p.m. make-up game.

Essig (3-7) is scheduled to host Searles on Tuesday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m.