It was incredible, it was magical, but it was just not enough. The Minot Hot Tots scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth when they needed eight and ended up on the losing end of a 15-14 decision against the Willmar Stingers.

The first four innings of the game were full of Willmar highlights. The Stingers’ bats were active from the onset, homering seven times. Jameson Martin went yard twice and three different Stingers collected four hits. But that was just half of the game.

Starting in the sixth inning, the Hot Tots comeback got underway. Going into the inning trailing 14-2, Minot got one run in the sixth, three in seventh and another one in the eighth. Willmar’s lead dwindled down to 14-7 by the ninth innings. The Stingers were supplied with an insurance run on a Martin single, one run that would come in handy.

Trailing 15-7 and down to their last three outs, a full-on comeback may have seemed like a long shot, but the Hot Tots proved them wrong. One base at a time, aided by five walks, a Willmar error and a three-RBI double by Christian Stratis, Minot made things interesting. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Hot Tots trailed by a single run. A bases-loaded strikeout ended the game with Willmar barely hanging on, 15-14.

Henry Allen’s home run in the seventh inning was named the First Command Play of the Game. Willmar’s Nicholas Holbrook dialed up the radar gun to 89 mph for the SRT Fastest Pitch. Eleven Buffalo Wild Wings Walks were drawn by the Hot Tots including five in the ninth inning alone.

The final game of the four-game series between Willmar and Minot will be Saturday at 6:35 pm at Corbett Field.