MITCHELL — Two teams hungry for postseason success played a tight quarterfinal contest on Thursday.

Tabor edged Lake Norden, 8-6, in the quarterfinals of the Class B state amateur baseball tournament at Cadwell Park. The Bluebirds will now play in the semifinals on Saturday for the first time since 2011. 

“We were super hungry,” Tabor player/manager Chris Sutera said. “We definitely wanted this for our fans. There was a lot of Tabor blue out there tonight. So hopefully we can keep it going Saturday.” 

The Lakers, meanwhile, were just as hungry for its first semifinal berth since 2000. The teams thirsty for deep runs played a seesaw quarterfinal game, with Tabor using an eight-run seventh inning to spark the win. 

The Bluebirds withstood a ninth-inning rally by Lake Norden, which loaded the bases before Tony Campbell lined out to second base for the final out. 

“That was a rollercoaster if I ever been on one,” Tabor pitcher Chase Kortan said. “We didn’t get the bats going right away. But we knew we were going to score some runs sooner or later. So we stuck with it and played good ‘D’ and good things happened.” 

Lake Norden’s Nicholai Arbach started and lasted the first 6.1 innings, striking out four batters, allowing four earned runs on five hits. He threw six scoreless innings before Tabor finally broke through. 

“He threw a helluva game,” said Kortan, who drove in two runs and struck out seven batters. “But it was the third time through the lineup and everyone was swinging at strikes, and not chasing things. We put the ball in play and good things happen.”

In the seventh inning, Tabor scored eight runs on six hits, including RBIs by Beau Rothschadl, Jalen Wieseler, Hunter Hallock, Nolan Carda, Kortan and Joey Slama. Kortan’s two-run single broke a 4-4 tie. 

“We were on our third time through,” Sutera said. “Our guys were finally picking out one pitch and we were getting it. We were putting the ball in play and that was huge. Some of them were even bloop singles. That’s what you need in big games.” 

Jordon Johnson relieved Arbach in the sixth innings, finishing with just nine pitches and allowed three earned runs on two hits. Josh Cleveland pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and struck out two batters. 

In the eighth inning, Lake Norden scored two runs to get within two entering the final frame. In the ninth, Cleveland hit a sky-high lead-off single into center field and Tulson hit a deep fly ball to right field to advance him. After two straight outs, and an intentional walk to Kevin Krumm, Campbell lined out for the final out. 

“We put the ball in play and finally got the win at the end there,” Sutera said. “It was a little scary, a couple hits, a couple walks and nothing like giving our fans a good heart attack right before the end of the day.”

Kortan started the first 7.1 innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and walked three batters. Bryce Scieszinski pitched 1.2 relief innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and struck out one batter. 

Krumm finished with three hits, while Jackson Noem and Cleveland had two hits apiece.  

Tabor will play either Winner/Colome or Lesterville at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals. Tabor’s Riley Rothschadl, who had three hits on Thursday, will start for the Bluebirds in the semifinals. 

“Saturday is going to be a fun one,” Kortan said. “We got Rothschadl on the mound. So we are in good hands. We will see how it goes. It should be fun.”