It would be hard to pick too many negatives from a 16-run, 17-hit performance. Not to mention, two pitchers combining to allow four hits and striking out eleven. It was one of those days for the Minot Hot Tots, who enjoyed a 16-3 win over the Badlands Big Sticks.
Sparks started to fly when Rowan Felsch smashed a three-run home run in the first inning, putting the Hot Tots ahead 3-0.
Badlands would fight back in the second inning, getting a leadoff home run from Justin Flannery and a two-RBI triple from Bo Shinkle. The Big Sticks had tied the score, but there was still a lot of baseball left.
For the next four innings, the Hot Tots would score a run in each of them. Zach Doyle plated a run in the bottom of the second, Rowan Felsch went yard for a second time in the third and a Jonah Shields double scored one more in the fourth. Minot had a 7-3 lead at that point and continued to add on as Badlands struggled to find the zone. After five full innings, the Hot Tots led 10-3.
Starting pitcher CJ Hanson went out with a bang in his final start of the season. He would go just over five innings, allowing three hits, one earned run and struck out a season-high eight batters. With plenty of run support, Hanson was set up well to record his first win.
The Hot Tots went to Josh Livengood out of the bullpen with one out in the sixth inning. He kept up Hanson’s good work for the remainder of the game, shutting out the Big Sticks over the final 3.2 innings.
One more big inning was still out there for the Tots. A six-run seventh inning put the game on ice. Up 16-3, Minot cruised to the finish line, keeping that same tally as the final score of a Sky Dancer Casino Big Win.
CJ Hanson and Rowan Felsch were standouts in a game full of MVP performances. Hanson received SportClips MVP honors while Felsch took home the First Command Play of the Game with his three-run blast in the first inning. Buffalo Wild Wings Walks played a big part in the winning effort as nine would be drawn by the Hot Tots by game’s end.
The weekend series with Badlands concludes on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm CT at Corbett Field.
