\n\tLa Crosse, Wisc.- The Willmar Stingers fend off the un-relenting Logger offense to take game 1 of the series, 11-9.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWillmar struck first in their opening inning. Quincy McAfee<\/strong> (Pepperdine) reached on an error by Logger second baseman Cullen Large<\/strong> (William & Mary). Danny Pardo<\/strong> (Montevallo) followed him with a double to deep right-center field, putting runners on 2nd<\/sup> and 3rd<\/sup> base with no outs. Greg Lambert<\/strong> (Southern Illinois) brought in his 22nd<\/sup> and 23rd<\/sup> runs of the season with a single up the middle, giving the Stingers a 2-0 lead.\n<\/p>\n \n\tJake Hirbayashi<\/strong> (UCLA) and Kevin Collard<\/strong> (San Diego) led off the 3rd<\/sup> inning for the Loggers with singles into center field. Ramon Padilla<\/strong> (Illinois Central) brought in La Crosse’s 1st<\/sup> run on a line drive single to left field, scoring Hirabayashi<\/strong>. The Stingers’ shortstop, Dylan Woods (Nova Southeastern) shut down the inning for the Loggers on a fielder’s choice that got Collard<\/strong> at 3rd<\/sup> and a highlight reel 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.\n<\/p>\n \n\tDanny Pardo <\/strong>struck again in the 5th<\/sup> inning. With a runner on base, he took a full count pitch into the “Home Run Haven” beyond the right field wall, extending the Willmar lead to 4-1.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThree more Stingers crossed home in the next inning on a double by Quincy McAfee<\/strong> and a single by Danny Pardo<\/strong>.\n<\/p>\n \n\tGrant Fennell<\/strong> (Nevada) cut the Stinger lead in the 7th<\/sup> when he singled and scored on a base hit by Logger first baseman Randy Labaut<\/strong> (Arizona). Labaut<\/strong> scored on a bases loaded wild pitch, but that was all the Loggers could produce that inning.\n<\/p>\n \n\tCullen Large<\/strong> picked up right where La Crosse left off in the very next inning. He sent a 0-1 pitch over the right-center wall for his 1st<\/sup> home run of the season. The next three Loggers reached base on hits, including a triple by Grant Fennell, <\/strong>scoring Mason McCoy <\/strong>(Iowa) and Lorenzo Hampton Jr. <\/strong>(California). Randy Labaut <\/strong>brought in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field.\n<\/p>\n \n\tWillmar did not let the change in momentum overtake them. The Stingers scratched out the Loggers’ comeback with four runs on 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 hit batters, and 2 wild pitches.\n<\/p>\n