Photo by Madison Baker: Milroy’s Jackson Hughes (right) fist-bumps catcher Alex Schuh during a Region 3C semifinal matchup against the Courtland Cubs at Sleepy Eye Ballpark on Saturday afternoon. The Cubs defeated Milroy 5-2 to clinch a berth in the Class C State Tournament, knocking the Yankees down to the elimination bracket for a state-qualifier game on Saturday.

SLEEPY EYE — The Courtland Cubs clinched a Class C Amateur Baseball State Tournament berth with a 5-2 win over the Milroy Yankees Saturday at Sleepy Eye Ballpark.

Milroy took an initial 1-0 lead in the first, but Courtland scored runs in the bottom of the first and the second and never looked back, holding on to the lead for the rest of the game.

With the win, Courtland advances to the Region 2C championship game against Hanska at 6 p.m. Saturday in Sleepy Eye. Milroy gets an opportunity to take on of the two remaining state tournament berths with a game against the Leavenworth Orioles at 7:30 p.m. in Sleepy Eye on Friday.

Teddy Giefer was the winning pitcher for the Cubs, striking out five and allowing one earned run on five hits and one walk in 6 1/3 innings pitched. At the plate, Maddox Mortenson was 2 for 5 with a run scored, while Nolan Drill and Evan Wiltscheck each had a hit and an RBI.

Aaron Mathiowetz took the loss for Milroy, allowing three runs in two innings of work. At the plate, Andy Schmidt was 2 for 3 with an RBI, while Brian Dolan had a hit and an RBI. Alex Schuh had a hit and a run scored.

Milroy loaded the bases in the first inning with a single from Schuh, a double from David Schmidt and a walk from Brock Schultz. Andy Schmidt capitalized with a single to bring home Schuh, but a flyout ended the inning without further damage.

Courtland responded in the bottom of the inning by loading the bases as well as Jackson Bode walked, Mortenson made it to first on a fielder’s choice that Bode beat the throw on, and a walk from Drill. Giefer hit a sacrifice fly to tie up the game, but again the runs were limited as a groundout ended the frame.

While Milroy was unable to add to its score in the top of the second, Courtland took the lead with a groundout from Teagan Kamm that scored Carter Lang. Lang collected an RBI on a walk with bases loaded in the third, then the Cubs scored a second run in the third as Wiltscheck singled to bring home Mason Cox for a 4-1 lead.

The Yankees got on the board again in the fourth inning, with Brock Schultz being hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Dolan capitalized with a line-drive single that scored Brock Schultz to cut the lead to 4-2.

Drill got the run back for Courtland in the bottom of the inning with a a single that scored Mortensen. Giefer was replaced by Grant Bruns on the mound in the seventh inning, and he continued to keep Milroy at bay with no hits, one walk and one strikeout to close out the remaining 2 2/3 innings.