The Bismarck Larks retook the lead atop the Great Plains West division after beating the Willmar Stingers in style with a walk-off single by Wyatt Ulrich with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning. This is the first walk-off win for the Larks this season, which happened to be the first extra innings Larks game this season. This Larks victory tied the opening series between these two teams.

“I was nervous. I was shaking in my boots. The fans were standing up going wild. Right when it went 2-0 I knew he was going to throw me a fastball. And, before the pitch Coach Lindsey brought me up and asked me if I wanted to squeeze or go for it and I was like, ‘Ahhh I kind of want to hit.’ Then I got the fastball and hit a typical Wyatt hit put it up the middle very softly got the run… I got to remember that for life, that’s what I was thinking (as I rounded first). I took the mental picture in my head and it’s stuck there forever,” Wyatt Ulrich said.

What’s Next: The Bismarck Larks face off against the La Crosse Loggers on the road June 6 at 7:05 pm. This is the first time the two teams will face off this season.

How it Happened: The Stingers for the fourth consecutive time got on the board first after Sam Baier singled up the middle then to third base on back to back wild pitches before he scored on a Daniel Walsh sacrifice fly. The Larks quickly evened things up when Clay Woeste singled, stole second, then scored on an error that Gavin Rogers reached on.

The Stingers put up two more in the second retaking the lead. Dylan Criquet-Danielson hit an infield single, he then stole second base before scoring on a Daniel Walsh single to right for Walsh’s second RBI of the game. Chase Stanke then drove in Sam Baier who walked prior to the play with another single into the left field gap. The Stingers then tacked on two more in the 3rd when Brandon Bohning ripped a two-run home run to left to make it 5-2.

The Larks battled back in the 4th when AJ DiFillipo singled to right field and quickly advanced to second base on a passed ball. His teammate at Columbia University, Jack Chernow then drove him home with an infield single. The Larks then tied the ballgame in the seventh inning by opening the inning with back to back hits by the way of a Zach Gregory double and a Clay Woeste single past Stinger shortstop Brandon Bohning to make it first and third with nobody out. Gregory then scored on a wild pitch while Woeste scored to tie the game on a Gavin Rogers single in the 7th inning.

The score stayed stagnant until the 10th inning. The International TieBreaker rule was in place so Willmar started the inning with a runner on second, by rule the runner on second is determined by whoever made the last out in the previous inning. With two outs Kaden Fowler drove in Patrick Bordewick, the runner on second to put the Stingers up 6-5. The Larks battled back immediately, Gavin Rogers doubled in pinch runner Ronnie McBride to tie the game at 6. An Alex Peterson bunt and an intentional walk to AJ DiFillipo quickly loaded the bases. Mr.Lark himself, Wyatt Ulrich then brought the winning run home with a 2-0 single to left center field. The Larks celebrated on the field after a well fought win, they hope to bring the momentum with them on the road to La Crosse.