Willmar, Minn. — Jonny Ortiz pitched well in the season opener but had nothing to show for it.
That changed Thursday night against Mankato. With seven strong innings from Ortiz, the Stingers got back on the winning track with a 7-3 victory over the MoonDogs, as Ortiz got his first win of the season.
The game started out on a tougher note with Ortiz allowing both of his runs in the first inning. But he made sure that was all the MoonDogs would get.
The Stingers offense then made sure that Ortiz had something to show for his quality start. Trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the first, Willmar responded with a four-run outburst to take the lead, a lead it wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way. Dan Motl led off the inning with a walk and Sean Beesley followed with a single. After Storm Wilson struck out, Kyle Gilbert walked to load the bases for Ky Parrott. Parrott quickly unloaded the bases when he launched a triple down the right-field line to put the Stingers up for good. They would get one more on the MoonDogs in the first to make it a 4-2 lead.
Ortiz made sure that lead held up, as he allowed just two hits in his final six innings with five strikeouts total during his start, which was the longest any Stingers starter has gone this season. Dakota Belter finished off the win for the Stingers, as he closed the door on a MoonDogs scoring chance in the eighth and then put them down in order in the ninth.
The Stingers will hit the road for four straight days before returning to the Beehive for a seven-game homestand starting Sunday.
The 2015 season is presented by Marcus Construction. For more coverage of the Stingers visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com.
Tonight’s Center for Diagnostic Imaging player of the game was Jonny Ortiz. CDI is your local medical imaging provider. It’s your choice where you go for medical imaging, for MRI, CT, mammograms and pain injections, choose CDI. Visit online at myCDI.com/CentralMN.
The Willmar Stingers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.willmarstingers.com.
