DULUTH, Minn. — Jonny Ortiz has pitched well enough to win in every start this season, and on Tuesday night against Duluth he finally got the win he deserved.
Ortiz (Nova Southeastern) tossed the first nine-inning complete game of the summer for the Stingers (18-18), and the offense put up nine or more runs for the fourth time in six games, giving Willmar a 9-4 win and a series sweep at Wade Stadium.
The win gave the Stingers a 4-2 record on their longest road trip of the year, a road trip that saw the offense flourish in the first inning. For the fourth time on the road trip the Stingers scored in the first inning, putting up four runs in the opening frame against Huskies’ starter Payton Robinson to chase him from the game after one inning.
Three of the first five batters in the first inning reached for Willmar, as Quincy McAfee doubled to start the game and came into score when Greg Lambert reached on an error. Kole Cottam walked to keep the rally alive with two outs, and that’s when the Stingers offense came through in the clutch. Devin Foyle doubled home Lambert, and Justin Toerner followed with a two-run single to make it 4-0.
Ortiz had the most run support in any of his starts before he had even taken the hill, and he was efficient from his opening pitch. It took Ortiz just two pitches to get his first two outs of the first inning. He would walk his only batter of the game after that, but he settled into a nice groove from there on out.
Ortiz allowed two runs in the second inning that trimmed the Stingers lead to two, but Willmar answered with a three-run fourth to push the advantage to five. The Stingers needed just three hits in the inning to score the runs with Lambert plating a run on a single and Danny Mayer driving in the other run with a bases-loaded walk.
After single runs in the fifth and sixth by the Huskies, Ortiz allowed just one more hit in his final three innings of work. All four of his strikeouts came after the fourth inning, and he finished the game with four and just the one walk.
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 Stingers now return home for a two-game series against the Rochester Honkers. Wednesday night is Ruff’s Wings and Sports Bar Gift Card Giveaway night, and the first 250 adults will receive a gift card with various dollar amounts to be redeemed at Ruff’s. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
The 2016 Stingers season is presented by Marcus Construction. For more coverage of the Stingers visit the West Central Tribune at www.wctrib.com.
