La Crosse conjured up only one run on the evening, which came in the 9th inning, despite out hitting Willmar. The Loggers were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position and were held in check by Stingers pitching throughout. Ryan Jares (Augustana), the starting pitcher for the Stingers, had a flawless outing. He went for 6.0 scoreless innings, with 5 hits, a walk, and 7 strikeouts. He was met in relief by Logan Samuels (Montevallo), who pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts, and Drey Dirksen (Augustana), who tallied a scoreless inning as well.
Offensively for the Loggers, Landon Wallace (Nevada) was able to stay hot and extend his multi-hit streak to 3 games. He went 2-4 on the night in the DH hole. Wallace, through 25 at-bats, is hitting a colossal .440 with a home run and 3 doubles. Jordan Donahue (Hawaii) also contributed with 2 base-hits.
Drew Christo (Nebraska) registered a quality outing for the Lumberman. Despite receiving his second loss, the right-hander hurled 5.0 innings, allowing 2 earned runs with 4 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. The Loggers bullpen ran into trouble starting in the 6th inning, when a balanced offensive showing by the Stingers added to their lead. Sam Mettert (Wabash Valley), Ryan Sleeper (Nebraska), and Brett Stuessel (MATC) allowed a combined 4 runs.
For the Stinger’s bats, Drey Dirksen (Augustana) launched his second homer on the season; a solo shot off Mettert in the 6th. He finished 1-3 on the night. Kyle Payne (Northwest Nazarene) and Tim Porkornowski (Minnesota-Duluth) each added RBIs.
The Loggers continue their road trip tomorrow in Bismarck, North Dakota, as they begin a four-game series with the Larks at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field. The first pitch is slated for 7:05pm.
###
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 28th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 280 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Loggers as your favorite team.