MITCHELL — Lake Norden edged another Cornbelt League foe and advanced to the quarterfinals at the Class B state amateur baseball tournament. 

The Lakers outlasted, 2-0, in the second round of the state amateur baseball tournament at Cadwell Park and secured a spot in the final eight of the 32-team tournament. It came four days after Lake Norden nipped another Cornbelt League team Flandreau, 1-0, in the first round. 

On Sunday, Jordon Johnson threw another complete-game performance, throwing a six-hit shutout and striking out six batters. He outdueled Lennox’s J.D. Kirchner, who threw six scoreless innings, fanned 10 batters and allowed two earned runs on four hits. 

“They are a great team,” Johnson said. “We knew Lennox is a very good team. It was a dogfight right away and their pitcher Kirchner, a young college pitcher. He’s tougher than heck. We knew if we scratched one across. It might be the deal and it was. We are very fortunate and we are happy to move on.”

Johnson and Kirchner threw up zeros, until the Lakers broke through in the seventh inning. Mitchell Noem hit a lead-off single, and advanced to second on a groundout. Mick Tulson poked an RBI single into right field, scoring Noem for the first run.

Lake Norden's Jordon Johnson delivers a pitch against Lennox at the Class B state amateur baseball tournament in Mitchell. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

“In the sixth we talked and I said ‘Hey, if we get one run, that might be all we need,’ ” Johnson said. “Mick, he’s been playing a long time with me and Mick came through with a big hit and I thought we got a shot. Not that one run feels great, but we will take it.”  

In the eighth, Lake Norden added an insurance run on a base-loaded walk and Drew Sweeter relieved Kirchner for the final out. 

In the ninth, Lennox put two runners on base with two outs. 

“I have been doing this a long time and I have been on the other end in the eighth or ninth inning where we’ve blown games in this round,” Johnson said. “We kind of got over the hump and it feels good to complete it.” 

Lennox’s Josh Addington popped out to catcher Cameron Thue behind home plate to finish the game.

“Cam made a great play,” Johnson said. “That’s not an easy play for a catcher, but just to see it pop him and see him catch it, it was a relief. We are happy to be moving on and to get a shot.” 

Sweeter finished with three hits, while Kyle Braun, Walker Hultgren and Chris Kroupenske had hits. 

Jackson Noem, Mitchell Noem, Josh Cleveland and Tulson had hits for Lake Norden, which will play Dell Rapids Mudcats or Tabor at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. 

“We are moving on and hopefully in one of these games we can get our bats going and help ourselves out a little bit,” Johnson said.