DICKINSON, ND – The Badlands Big Sticks (30-37 overall, 12-21 2nd half) got out in front, but could not hold the lead against the Willmar Stingers (37-30 overall, 21-10 2nd half), now dropping back-to-back games with the loss on Wednesday night.

Willmar started the scoring in the bottom of the 1st inning on a Merrick Ropoza single that scored Kobe Eikmeier for the first run of the game.

In the top of the 2nd, Badlands used a surge of free passes with Blake Beheler (Blinn CC) and Jace Jarrett (Dawson CC) along with a Ryder Hernanadez (Ohio State) hit by pitch. The newly added Teagan Reisdorfer (Dawson CC) doubled, scoring both Beheler and Hernandez.

Adding to the lead in the next at-bat was Jackson Cionek (East Tennessee State), who doubled to center field, scoring Jarrett and Reisdorfer. Cougar Cooke (Arkansas State) scored the last run of the inning on a sacrifice fly, plating Cionek and making the game 5-1.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Stingers got one across on a Matthew Bernath single to center field, knocking in Landon Lowe.

Willmar followed the 3rd inning with a four-run inning to take the lead 6-5 in the bottom of the 4th inning. Levi Maddela singled and scored when Kai Gonzaga doubled to score the first run. Eikmeier earned an RBI on a single, scoring Gonzaga, which was followed by a two-run home run from Kyle Panganiban.

The scoring started in the bottom of the 5th inning on the second error from Badlands in the inning, plating Maddela. Eikmeier singled to left, scoring Gonzaga to add another run of insurance, making it 8-5.

In the bottom of the 7th, Gonzaga scored Bernath on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 9-5, which would be the final with no more coming across the next two innings.

The final matchup between the Big Sticks and Stingers will be at an alternate site in Alexandria, Minn., as both teams will make their way to Knute Nelson Memorial Park with first pitch set for Thursday evening at 6:05 p.m. MST.