Mankato, Minn. — The Stingers have had the late-inning heroics on their side lately, but their good fortune reversed Saturday night at Franklin Rogers Park.

Mankato scored two runs over the final two innings to beat Willmar 7-6, halting the Stingers’ three-game winning streak.

In each of their last two meetings, the Stingers (36-19, 13-8) and MoonDogs have had several back-and-forth affairs, and the fifth meeting of the year was no different. Mankato again was the one to take the early lead Saturday night, striking for two runs in the first inning off Stingers starter Bradley Bailey.

But the Stingers had yet another comeback in store for the MoonDogs. Willmar scored three times in the second to take the lead right back. In that second inning, the Stingers had the first five men reach base to start the frame. Dylan Alexander, who was making his Stingers debut, walked with the bases full to bring in the first run. Brian Pruett followed with an RBI single to drive in his 24th run of the year and knot the score at two, and Sean Beesley finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Just two innings later, the Stingers’ offense reared its head again with another three-run frame. All three runs this time came with two outs, as Ky Parrott singled home Dan Motl to extend the lead to two. Then Eddie Estrada brought home Parrott with an RBI single that got past the MoonDogs’ left fielder and allowed Lucas Tancas to score all the way from first base.

The MoonDogs answered immediately with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, which set the stage for the eighth and ninth innings. A run in the eighth tied the score at six, and the MoonDogs then walked off in the bottom of the ninth with a bases loaded sacrifice fly.

The Stingers will try to split the two-game set with Mankato tomorrow night.

The 2015 season is presented by Marcus Construction. For more coverage of the Stingers visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com. 

Tonight’s Center for Diagnostic Imaging player of the game was Eddie Estrada. CDI is your local medical imaging provider. It’s your choice where you go for medical imaging, for MRI, CT, mammograms and pain injections, choose CDI. Visit online at myCDI.com/CentralMN.