Another franchise record went down on Sunday afternoon. The Minot Hot Tots picked up their fourth consecutive win with a 10-5 victory over the Badlands Big Sticks.

Minot raced ahead to a 2-0 lead after a solo home run by Rowan Felsch. Quickly after, Badlands made their first charge at a comeback. A home run of their own tied the game 2-2 in the fifth inning.

For the next three half innings, the lead changed hands three times. Max Ortega brought in the go-ahead run for Minot in the bottom of the fifth, but a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth put the Big Sticks back in front. 

Hot Tots fans wouldn’t have to wait long for things to pick back up. Zach Doyle crushed a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth and made the score 6-5 Tots. The Doyle homer started a streak of six unanswered runs for Minot. With an additional run in the seventh inning and three in the eighth, Minot pulled comfortably ahead 10-5.

The second arm out of the bullpen was Josh Livengood and he was also the last. Livengood came into the game with the Tots in a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning. He swiftly got out of that situation and would remain in the game for three more innings, not allowing a run. Livengood was credited for the win.

The Sky Dancer Casino Big Win puts the Hot Tots above .500 in the second half of the season. Minot is one game out of first place in the Great Plains West. Max Ortega was the SportClips MVP collecting four hits and two runs batted in. Doyle’s go-ahead home run stuck as the First Command Play of the Game. CJ Hanson delivered the SRT Fastest Pitch of 89 mph.