DICKINSON, ND – The Badlands Big Sticks (29-35 overall, 11-19 second half) never held the lead in the series finale against the St. Cloud Rox (39-24 overall, 15-12 second half), who engulfed the Big Sticks pitching staff with a 16-run performance on Sunday afternoon.

 

St. Cloud jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the 1st inning of play. After Jackson Legg and Nolan Geislinger reached, Colton Rother hit a three-run home run to put the Rox out in front.

 

Badlands responded in the top of the 2nd inning with a run of their own. Ryder Hernandez (Ohio State) doubled with one out, then Jace Jarrett (Dawson CC) came up with two outs and hit an RBI single, dropping the deficit to 3-1.

 

The Big Sticks picked up another run in the top of the 4th inning when Cougar Cooke (Arkansas State) doubled with two outs and later scored on a Hernandez single, putting the score within one.

 

But the Rox immediately punched back, grabbing another three-run frame in the bottom of the 4th inning. Legg hit an RBI double, then Rother grabbed another extra-base hit with a run-scoring triple, then Owen Estabrook capped the inning with an RBI single to put the lead up to 6-2.

 

St. Cloud blew it open in the bottom of the 5th inning, scoring six runs. Tanner Recchio scored on a walk and Rother drove in two more runs with a single and later scored on a groundout. Geislinger scored on a wild pitch and Luke Haney finished the inning with an RBI single, doubling the run tally for the Rox and putting the lead at 12-2.

 

After a scoreless 6th inning, Estabrook tallied another run for St. Cloud with a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th inning.

 

Badlands finally plated another run in the top of the 8th inning when Blake Beheler (Blinn JC) led off the inning with a home run into left field, putting the score at 13-3.

 

St. Cloud did not let off the gas, putting up three more runs in the bottom of the 8th inning, scoring one on a Rother walk, another on an error, then the final run of the ballgame on an RBI single from Akin, pushing the score to the final of 16-3.

 

Badlands continues to stumble through the end of the season, with the losing streak now at seven games and the team falling to 2-8 in their last ten games. The Big Sticks will look to reverse their fortunes at home in a series against the division-leading Willmar Stingers, with first pitch of game one scheduled for Monday evening at 6:35 p.m. MST.