Waterloo, IA – Willmar and Waterloo combined for 21 hits and 27 runs in game one of their series, which was an extra-inning thriller that the Stingers survived to win 14-13. 

Willmar got the party started in the top of the first. Max Buettenback crushed a solo home run to put the Stingers in front 1-0. A three-run shot from Kai Gonzaga in the second inning trampolined the lead to 4-0.

In the top of the third, Willmar extended the lead. A walk led off the inning, then Merrick Rapoza doubled to bring the run in to make it 5-0. With two down, Noah Massey legged out an infield single to plate Rapoza to make it 6-0. 

In the bottom of the third, the Bucks answered back. After a Colin Coonradt walk, MJ Sweeney crushed a double to plate the run to make it 6-1. With two outs, Nico Newhan lifted a fly ball off the wall in center to bring in Sweeney to make it 6-2. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Waterloo cut the lead to one. George Baker and Colling Brightwell singled, then Caleb Parker reached on a throwing error that brought in a pair to cut the lead in half, 6-4. One batter later, Parker scored on an RBI groundout to make it 6-5. 

In the fifth and sixth innings, the Stingers scored seven runs to push the lead to 13-5 before the Bucks began to chip away in the last of the seventh. Sweeney homered to make it 13-6, then Baker doubled to plate a run to make it 13-7. Finally, Brightwell ripped a triple to left to bring in Baker to make it 13-8.

In the home half of the eighth, Waterloo brought it to one again. After a walk and a single, Sweeney singled to drive in a run to make it 13-9. Newhan forced a bases loaded walk to bring ni another to chip away, 13-10. One batter later, Caleb Seibers lifted a sac fly to make it 13-11. Finally, Caleb Parker walked with the bases loaded to bring in one more to chisel the lead to 13-12 before Coonradt raced home on a wild pitch in the ninth to even the tally at 13. 

In the top of the tenth, a sacrifice bunt and a groundout brought home the go-ahead run for Willmar to put them ahead 14-13 and sent out Trey Zaffiro to slam the door on the win. 

With the loss, Waterloo goes to 6-9 on the season and drops six games in a row. Game two of the series against Willmar is set for Friday evening at 6:35 pm. Both starters are TBD.

https://northwoodsleague.com/baseball/game/?id=5836