MITCHELL — Lake Norden was on the right side of a one-run game this time around.

The Lakers upset Flandreau, 1-0, in the opening round of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament Wednesday at Cadwell Park. 

It was Lake Norden’s first game back at Cadwell Park since it lost 4-3 on a walk-off against Winner/Colome in last year’s second round. 

The Lakers couldn’t help but think back on last year’s outcome. 

“We lost a heartbreaker in the ninth to Winner in the second round,” Lake Norden starter Jordon Johnson said. “So I was starting to reminisce that way. But thank God we finished it out. … We survived.” 

Johnson helped the Lakers survive on Wednesday. He lasted seven innings, allowing six hits, striking out seven batters and walking seven batters on 121 pitches. Johnson’s counterpart, Bret Severtson, was just as solid. The tall right-hander allowed three hits, one earned run, one walk and struck out eight batters in eight innings. 

“We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” Johnson said. “Severtson is a great pitcher. I used to play in the Cornbelt. He is as tough as they come and one run. We will take it.”

The pitchers combined to throw three scoreless innings to open the game. In the fourth inning, Lake Norden’s Josh Cleveland hit an RBI double to plate Jackson Noem for the lone run. 

Severtson escaped a big-time jam later in the inning. The Lakers loaded the bases with two outs, and Kevin Krumm popped one up to shallow center field. But X. Feng snagged the catch for the third, preventing a pair of runs from scoring. 

Johnson was pulled in the seventh inning after walking the lead-off batter. Nicholai Arbach relieved Johnson, and after striking out Keith Cutler, he got the next two batters to fly out. 

“I wanted to keep going,” Johnson said. “But I thought let’s give them a different look and so (Arbach) came through and the rest is history.” 

Arbach’s job wasn’t done yet though. In the ninth, the Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs and Grant Hieb stepped to the plate. Hieb, however, struck out swinging to end the game. 

“I have known Hieb for years,” Johnson said. “I used to coach against him. He’s as good of a hitter as they come, and to get him out on a full-count pitch, nothing better than that.”

The upset win prevented an all-Cornbelt League second round game. Instead, Lake Norden will play Lennox at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the tournament’s second round. 

“It’s huge,” Johnson added about the win. “We kind of get overlooked. We are in a weaker conference. We have a good team though. We have a good group of boys.” 

Jesse VanOverbeke and Mitchell Noem added hits for Lake Norden. 

For Flandreau, Calvin Hegg and Jacob VonBerge had two hits apiece. Cutler and Bret Severtson each had hits.