DICKINSON, ND – The Badlands Big Sticks (31-37 overall, 13-21 2nd half) held on late to take the season series 7-5 over the Willmar Stingers (37-30 overall, 21-10 2nd half) with a 6-4 victory on Thursday night.

 

In the top of the 1st inning, Badlands used a similar blueprint as Wednesday night. Evan Mann (Odessa CC) walked and Dakota Howard (Southeastern) hit a single to start the game, followed by a Gavyn Schlotterback (Kansas) ground ball, which scored Mann.

 

After the Badlands first run, Samson Pugh (UT – Tyler) walked, and later scored on a three-run home run from Cougar Cooke (Arkansas State) to center field, which also scored Howard, making it 4-0.

 

The Big Sticks scratched one run in the top of the 2nd inning. Jackson Cionek (East Tennessee State) walked, followed by a single from Howard that led to Cionek scoring on a double off the bat from Schlotterback.

 

Willmar responded by scoring two in the top of the 3rd inning. Jehee Lee knocked two runs in on a single, plating David Estrada and Merrick Rapoza.

 

Both sides’ pitching staffs were dominant during the middle portion with scoreless innings from the 4th through 7th.

 

The Big Sticks bats collected a run of insurance in the top of the 8th with a Teagan Reisdorfer (Dawson CC) walk, coming around to score on a Cionek single, making the score 6-2.

 

In the bottom of the 8th inning, Esteban Sepulveda started the rally for Willmar with a solo home run, followed by an error defensively putting Paris Pridgen on second, who immediately scored on the next at-bat to make it 6-4. But Badlands held on, winning by that score.

 

Badlands will look to carry the momentum as the Big Sticks wrap the season up with a two-game series against the Mankato MoonDogs, with game one’s first pitch on Friday evening set for 5:35 p.m. MST.