The Badlands Big Sticks and St Cloud Rox are the top two teams in the Great Plains West Division. This game featured great pitching all the way through from both sides resulting in five total runs in the game.

The St. Cloud Rox started the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd inning with a run. Badlands answered right back with two of their own in the top of the 4th from a Coy DeFury (Texas St) bases loaded walk and Connor Meidroth (University of San Diego) scoring on a wild pitch.

The 5th to the 7th innings featured old school scoreless pitching duels among the two pitching staffs.

The Rox got another one in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game 2-2. Connor Massimini (East Texas Baptist University) hit a go-ahead home run to right field to take the 3-2 lead where the Big Sticks held on for the win.

The Big Sticks and Rox only contributed four hits total in the game and one error defensively each. For The Big Sticks, Massimini, Chayton Fischer (UTRGV), Khalil Walker (University of New Mexico) and Shane Miller (University of New Mexico) were the four players with hits. 

Fischer and Massimini were the two hitters with extra base hits as Fischer had a double and Massimini with the play of the game with his clutch homer in the 9th.

Kasen McCawley (UNC Pembroke) started the game and had another quality start going 6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, and 9 K. He was dominant all night and was in complete control of his pitches.

Two-way player Gavyn Schlotterback (Kansas) came in for the final three innings allowing 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 3 K. He continues to be so valuable for this ball club, pitching great on the mound with his 1.17 ERA, hitting home runs and driving runs in, and playing great defense as the catcher behind the plate.

The Big Sticks look to sweep the two game series against the Rox with start time for 5:35 p.m. MST tonight in St. Cloud, MN.