DICKINSON, ND – The Badlands Big Sticks (29-33 overall, 11-17 second half) fought a close contest with the Mankato MoonDogs (30-32 overall, 15-13 second half) until the final third, where the MoonDogs pulled away and took the victory on Friday night.

Dylon Myrow (Nebraska) started the scoring for Badlands, blasting off on the first pitch of the bottom of the 1st inning and depositing it over the left field wall for a solo home run, his first home run of the season and putting the Big Sticks up 1-0.

Mankato responded with two runs in kind in the top of the 2nd inning, grabbing both off of a two-run double by Mikey Valdivia to take the lead.

A pitcher’s duel ensued between Badlands starting pitcher Luke Hayhow (Texas State) and Mankato starter Logan Gross. Hayhow allowed zero runs after the 2nd inning, completing an abbreviated start after four innings, while Gross allowed nothing until the bottom of the 6th inning.

The Big Sticks tied the game in the 6th when Cougar Cooke (Arkansas State) scored from third while Blake Beheler (Blinn JC) got caught in a rundown between first and second base.

The MoonDogs countered with their first run since the 2nd inning in the top of the 7th with an RBI single by Evan Saunders to retake the lead 3-2.

Mankato then blew it open in the top of the 8th, putting up a four-spot. Sean Griggs hit a two-run double, then Saunders hit another run-scoring single, grabbing two runs to increase the lead to 7-2, which would be the final score.

The Big Sticks drop their fifth game in a row, and will look to reverse their fortunes on the road against St. Cloud on Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MST.