The Badlands Big Sticks (8-8) took on the Eau Claire Express (8-10) in a doubleheader on Thursday after the first game of the series was postponed due to inclement weather.

The abbreviated seven-inning games saw Eau Claire take game one in an extra-inning affair, and Badlands take game two on the back of 10 free passes by the Express pitching staff.

GAME 1

The first game of the doubleheader was a low-scoring pitchers’ duel between Ismael Quintero (Cal State – LA) and Eau Claire starting pitcher Jesse Neretlis, eventually pushing into extra innings where the Express would prevail.

Quintero had the shortened-game equivalent of a quality start, pitching five innings and allowing just three hits, one unearned run, and two walks. He also struck out eight Express hitters. Neretlis went seven innings, allowing five hits, one earned run, and one walk while also striking out five batters.

The Big Sticks picked up their first and only run of the contest when Jalen Evans (Wingate) came up in the top of the 1st inning and hit the first pitch he saw out of the ballpark for a solo home run, giving Badlands the early lead.

Eau Claire countered in the bottom of the 2nd inning, capitalizing on a throwing error that allowed Sawyer Stein to score and tied the game at 1-1.

Neither side scored for the rest of regulation, pushing the game into extra innings. The Big Sticks failed to score in the top of the 8th, which opened the door to the Express. With a runner starting on second, another throwing error on a groundball allowed Jake Busson to score.

The Big Sticks had three fielding errors, two of which led directly to runs for the Express. Neither Quintero nor Johnny Stacy (Angelo State) surrendered an earned run, but Stacy picked up the unfortunate loss on his pitching record.

GAME 2

The nightcap of the doubleheader looked like it was heading in the same direction as the first game, but the Big Sticks dropped a crooked number in the top of the 5th which led them to victory.

Both starting pitchers, Austin Laycock (Utah Tech) for Badlands and Mason Kinchen for Eau Claire, made it through the first three innings without giving up a run.

That changed in the top of the 4th when Jalen Evans (Wingate) walked then eventually came around to score after a balk put him on second, a stolen base put him on third, and a wild pitch allowed him to cross home for the first run of the ballgame.

The 5th inning was the big outburst for the Big Sticks. Alejandro Ludeiro (Lipscomb) started the inning with a double and then the mistakes piled up for the Express.

Cooper Rasmussen (FIU) was hit by a pitch the next at-bat, then Davis Goodwin (Cal State – Bakersfield) reached on an error, scoring Ludeiro in the process. Rasmussen scored the next at-bat when a wild pitch allowed him to cross home, then two pitches later, Braylon Mitchell (Dayton) was hit by a pitch.

Mitchell then attempted to steal second the next at-bat, and the pitcher balked, which allowed Goodwin to score, put Mitchell on second base, and made the score 4-0. After two outs were collected, the Eau Claire pitching staff lost all command.

Jackson Ellison (Butler CC), Evans, Robert De La Garza (Baylor), then Ludeiro collected four straight walks, then Rasmussen was hit by a pitch the next at-bat, resulting in three more runs coming across the plate to make the score 7-0 before the Express got out of the inning.

Eau Claire did not go quietly, rallying for two runs in the bottom of the 5th with an RBI double from JP Pennella then an RBI walk from Jake Busson.

They tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the 6th with an RBI single from Adam Salazar, who later came around to score on a wild pitch, making the score 7-4 going into the final inning of play.

The Express threatened in the bottom of the 7th, putting two men on with zero outs, but the Big Sticks fielded a double play to get the first two outs, then Jacob Baker (Texas A&M – Victoria) struck out the final batter looking to end the game.

The Big Sticks, despite having only two hits, managed a seven-run effort in game two to split the doubleheader. Badlands gets the day off on Friday before coming back home to take on in-state foe Minot on Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 MST.