Contact: Colton Andresen, Media Relations
La Crosse earned a split in its weekend series with Willmar, beating the Stingers 13-9 in front of 2,617 fans at Copeland Park on Sunday evening. The night began with the largest ceremonial first pitch of the season as 85 cancer survivors participated in the pregame ritual on National Cancer Survivors Day at the Lumberyard.
Willmar jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second, scoring three unearned runs on three Loggers errors to make it 3-0. The Loggers would break out the lumber in the bottom half of the frame, tallying five runs on five hits to take a 5-3 lead. The entire offense contributed to the outburst as five different players recorded an RBI in the inning.
La Crosse’s lead would vanish in the fourth inning, however, after the Stingers pushed across four runs on five hits including a 2-RBI double from Brock Anderson and a rare steal of home by speedy leadoff hitter Sam Baier.
With the score 7-5 heading into the 7th inning stretch, the Lumbermen would explode for seven runs on five hits to regain the lead 12-7. The big inning began with a leadoff double from Cody Jefferis (San Diego), a pair of walks, then an RBI single from Levi Usher (Kirkwood CC/Louisville) and bases loaded walk from Tony Bullard (Arizona) knotted the game at 7. Pinch hitter Jaxon Shirley (Oklahoma) produced in a big way off the Loggers’ bench, driving in the go ahead runs on a 2-RBI base hit. Adam Christianson (Illinois Central) added a pair of insurance runs with a 2-out, 2-RBI single to extend the lead to four and came around to score on a single from Jefferis, his second hit of the inning, to make it 12-7.
The Stingers would threaten with two runs in the top of the eighth, but right-hander Jared Freilich (Penn State) was able to close the door on a Loggers 13-9 victory. Starting pitcher Landry Wideman (Texas A&M) turned in 4.0 innings in his second appearance of the season, allowing seven runs (four earned) on seven hits and struck out two. Left-hander Nick Eaton (Butler) earned his first victory of the season after 3.0 shutout innings of relief work, allowing just two baserunners and striking out a pair.
La Crosse (2-4) will travel to Eau Claire on Monday for game one of a home-and-home set against the Express with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM. Listen live on the Loggers Radio Network as the pregame show will begin at 6 PM on Eagle FM 102.7 and the Loggers Mobile App. The teams will return to Copeland Park for game two of the series on Tuesday evening with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM.
