Willmar, Minn. — Early and often has been the mantra for the Stingers offense lately, and Friday night was no different. 

The Stingers scored four runs in the first four innings and then tallied runs in three of the last four frames, overcoming a pair of deficits to knock off La Crosse 9-7 and earn a series split. 

After falling behind 6-4 after the top of the fourth inning, Willmar (41-21, 18-10 second half) scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good. The two runs came around with the benefit of only two hits. Storm Wilson scored the first run of the frame to cut the deficit to one by getting hit by a pitch, stealing second, going to third on a throwing error on the same play and then scoring on a wild pitch. Wilson finished the game with three stolen bases. 

Reagan Fowler doubled after Wilson in that fifth inning and came around on Troy Dixon's RBI single to tie the score. Ky Parrott had walked a batter before Dixon, and Parrott would score later in the inning on a wild pitch to give the Stingers the lead for good. 

With the lead for the third time, the Stingers bullpen did not disappoint. Nikolay Uherek picked up his first win of the season with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out two while allowing just one hit. Jonathan Lycan pitched two innings in relief as well, giving up just one run.

Then Brady Anderson came in for the ninth and increased his scoreless streak to 15 2/3 innings with a scoreless frame, garnering his 16th save of the season. With the save, Anderson surpassed his own Stingers single season saves record from 2012. 

The Stingers close out the five-game homestand tomorrow night with a 7:05 game against St. Cloud. 

The 2015 Stingers 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 Troy Dixon. 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.