Willmar, Minn. – The Loggers get back to .500 in the 2nd half with a 11-7 road win over the Willmar Stingers.
The Loggers grabbed the first lead of the game in the 2nd inning when Grant Fennell (Nevada) doubled to lead off the inning. Griffin Conine (Duke) immediately followed him with a double to center field, scoring Fennell. After Conine stole 3rd base, Kyle Plantier (UC-Santa Barbara) brought him in with a sacrifice fly to right field.
La Crosse broke open the game early with 5 runs in the 3rd inning. With runners on 1st and 3rd and two outs, Grant Fennell brought in the 2016 NWL All-Star Game Co-MVP Mason McCoy (Iowa) on a single. After a walk loaded the bases, catcher Cesar Salazar (Arizona) hit a grand slam, giving the Lumbermen a 7-0 lead.
A single by Danny Pardo (Montevallo) and back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Justin Toerner (Cal State Northridge). Toerner brought two Stingers home with a single to center field.
Willmar added three more runs in the 4th inning. An error, a hit-by-pitch, and a single loaded the bases again with one out. Justin Toerner struck again, bringing two more runs with a single to center. Eddie Estrada (Minnesota) brought the Stingers within two on another single.
Grant Fennell added another run for the Loggers with his 4th hit of the game, scoring Mason McCoy from 2nd base, but he was thrown out at 2nd trying to extend it to a double.
Willmar would give up without a fight. A wild pitch scored Danny Pardo from third. Eddie Estrada brought the Stingers within a run on a single up the middle, scoring Greg Lambert (Southern Illinois).
La Crosse added some insurance in the 9th. Two runs scored on an error by the Willmar shortstop. Griffin Conine brought the lead to four with a groundout to 1st base, scoring Lars Nootbaar (USC).
Cason Sherrod (Texas A&M) held the Stingers scoreless for a 1.1 inning save.
Jared Liebelt (Waubonese CC) won his first game as a Logger (1-1) with 2.2 innings of relief work. He gave up 3 runs (all unearned) on 7 hits. He walked none and struck out 4 batters.
Ty Tice (Central Arkansas) dropped to 3-3 on the season. He went 6 innings, giving up 7 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits. He walked 2 batters with 5 strike outs.
La Crosse gets back to 6-6 on the 2nd half (23-25 overall). Willmar falls to 8-5 in the 2nd half (26-23 overall). The Loggers go for the sweep tomorrow night for a 7:05 contest against the Stingers. Catch the game on the Loggers Radio Network, Eagle 102.7 or the Loggers Radio Network.
