DICKINSON, ND – The Badlands Big Sticks (3-4) took to the road to take on the Mankato MoonDogs (4-5), taking the lead in the 1st inning and never giving it up en route to a 9-4 win in the series opener on Tuesday night.

 

The Big Sticks started hot once again, with Braylon Mitchell (Dayton) and Jalen Evans (Wingate) reaching as the first two batters of the 1st inning. Jordan Kuhnau (Campbell) scored Mitchell with an RBI groundout, and Chayton Fischer (UTRGV) brought home Evans with a sac fly to put the scoreline to 2-0.

 

The MoonDogs cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 2nd after an RBI by Danny Rollins off of Badlands starting pitcher Jacob Courtney (Bushnell), which would be the only run he would allow over the course of his start.

 

Rhett Winchester (Wichita State) led off the 3rd inning with a bunt single. He then stole second base and went to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sac fly by Mitchell to put the score at 3-1.

 

Badlands added on in the 4th after Fischer singled and advanced on an error, then Cooper Rasmussen (FIU) walked to put two runners on with one out. With two outs, Nathan Nance Jr. (NW FL State JC) singled to score Fischer, then Rasmussen came around the next at-bat on a passed ball, making the score 5-1.

 

In the 5th, the Big Sticks added on one more after Kuhnau doubled with two outs and was later driven in by a Fischer single to extend the lead to 6-1.

 

Mankato managed to pull the game back within two in the bottom of the 6th after a solo home run by Landon Williams, an RBI groundout by Noah Libed, and a wild pitch which put the game at 6-4 entering the top of the 7th.

 

Evans walked with two outs in the 7th, then proceeded to steal 2nd and 3rd base before being brought home by Kuhnau on a single to left, extending the lead to 7-4.

 

Badlands capped off the scoring with two runs in the 9th inning when Evans scored on a passed ball and Rasmussen walked to bring home John Youens (Baylor), inflating the lead to 9-4, which would be the final score.

 

The Big Sticks take the lead in the all-time series against the MoonDogs 13-12 with the victory, and will look to sweep the mid-week slate, with first pitch for game two scheduled for 5:35 MST on Wednesday night.