REINBECK — Down to the final out, GMG baseball launched a stunning comeback to upend Montezuma, 8-3, and advance in the Class 1A District 7 bracket with a quarterfinal triumph at the Steve Tscherter Complex in Reinbeck on Saturday night.

The Wolverines (9-14) claimed a first-round postseason victory for the first time since 2015 and will take on Gladbrook-Reinbeck back in Reinbeck at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Montezuma broke a scoreless tie in the fourth and added two runs in the fifth inning. GMG got on the board with two runs in the sixth inning, but the Wolverines’ backs were against the wall as the visiting team in the top of the seventh after a strikeout and flyout.

Instead of wilting, GMG flourished, scoring six runs on four hits and two walks, including two-RBI hits for Brayden Duden and Rider Kupka and single RBIs for Kaleb Gill and Wyatt Jackson.

“That took a big weight off our shoulders,” said Duden, one of the team’s seniors. “It was a pretty close game and we were all stressed in the dugout, but I think that helped a lot confidence-wise.”

The Braves (7-9) got runners to second and third in the seventh inning but Kupka snagged a line drive at shortstop to end the threat and the game.

“That was probably one of the best defensive games we’ve played,” said GMG sophomore and starting pitcher Colin Teske. “It’s nice as a pitcher when you know they can hit the ball and your defense is in place.”

Teske went six innings with seven strikeouts and three earned runs allowed on six hits and one walk.

There was disagreement after the game between the GMG and Montezuma coaching staffs on Teske’s pitch count when he was pulled for reliever Zach Duncan which may affect Teske’s availability for the next round on Wednesday.

“He’d pitch again tomorrow if it was up to him,” GMG coach Mick Long said. “He’s our best pitcher, he gives us our best opportunity to win. But I have faith in Zach, too. … And we’ve played really good defense this year. We just struggle getting runs in.”

GMG made offense look easy in the final inning on Saturday.

“We were making contact the whole game, been making contact all year,” said Teske, who launched the seventh-inning comeback with a double at the top of the order. “Just getting one in play started a rally, and that’s all we needed.”

Duden and Kupka finished with three RBI each — Kupka was 2-for-3 at the plate and also made an unassisted double play at shortstop earlier in the game.

GMG started the season 2-6 but has won four of its last six down the stretch.

“We started hitting the ball and finally started believing,” Long said. “It’s good for the kids to get that type of win, and it’ll bode well for next year.”

There’s still at least one more game to play this season, though, against a G-R team that sped away from the Wolverines in a 12-2, five-inning victory in the season opener in Reinbeck on May 16.

“They’re supposed to win, so we’re playing with house money,” Long said. “We look forward to the opportunity – we played them close until that fifth inning where we had a lot of errors, so we’ll see.”