DICKINSON, ND – The Badlands Big Sticks (24-24 overall, 6-8 overall) were level with the St. Cloud Rox (32-17 overall, 8-5 second half) entering the final third of the game, but the Rox rallied to score five, taking the victory and splitting the two-game set on Friday night.

The Rox got the scoring started in the top of the 2nd inning when Aidan Mouton drew an RBI walk. Tanner Recchio and Austin Haley then followed with two singles that each scored a run, putting St. Cloud up 3-0.

The Big Sticks got one run back in the bottom half of the 2nd inning when Jackson Cionek (East Tennessee State) singled to score Derek Martinez (Arkansas State), which would be the only scoring until the 6th inning.

St. Cloud grabbed one run in the 6th inning off an error, but Badlands countered in the bottom half of the inning. Gavyn Schlotterback (Kansas) teed off on the first pitch of his at-bat, hitting an RBI double that scored Dylon Myrow (Nebraska). Martinez collected an RBI on a hit by pitch, then Cougar Cooke (Arkansas State) followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4.

The Rox retook the lead in the top of the 7th inning when Recchio scored on a throwing error, making the score 5-4.

The game got out of control for Badlands in the top of the 8th inning, as St. Cloud rallied for four runs. Jackson Legg scored on the third error of the game for the Big Sticks, Alex Dupuy hit a two-run double, then Jaixen Frost had an RBI groundout to put the lead at 9-4, which would be the final.

The Big Sticks will look to regroup on Saturday evening with the first matchup of the season against the Minnesota Mud Puppies, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. MST.