DICKINSON, ND – The Badlands Big Sticks (2-4) fortunes change as the calendar turns to June with a 9-2 victory over the Duluth Huskies (3-5).

The Huskies took the lead in the 1st inning, but the momentum shifted and the Big Sticks never gave the lead back after scoring in the 2nd inning.

The 2nd inning started off with a walk by Jackson Ellison (Butler CC) and a single by Chayton Fischer (UTRGV). Ellison was able to score on a wild pitch and Fischer scored on a walk by Griffin Lyczkowski (Navarro College) for a 2-1 lead. The lead expanded following a single to left by Braylon Mitchell (Dayton), which scored Chris Fox (New Orleans), putting the score at 3-1.

Evan Bogart (Cloud CC) provided the best starting pitching performance of the season so far, going 5 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 run, and 1 walk while earning 3 strikeouts.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, insurance runs were added off a stand-up double by Fischer, scoring Ellison from 1st base making it 4-1. A sacrifice fly by Fox scored Fischer, extending the lead to 5-1.

After the Huskies put up 1 in the top half of the 6th inning, the Big Sticks brought the final punch, responding by putting 4 runs in the bottom half.

A single by Ellison brought Mitchell home, which started a domino effect. John Youens (Baylor) scored on a walk by Fox, and Davis Goodwin (Cal State – Bakersfield) earned a pair of RBIs on a 2-run single to make it 9-2, which ended up being the final score.

Badlands will head on the road to face the Mankato Moondogs on Tuesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 5:35 MST.