WILLMAR, Minn. — The Stingers got back on track in a big way on Thursday night at Bill Taunton Stadium, pounding out 17 hits and scoring eight times in an 8-3 series-opening victory over the Duluth Huskies. 

Coming off a tough one-run loss on Wednesday night, Willmar (34-29, 16-11 second half) got started immediately in the first inning with a pair of runs and kept attacking the rest of way. The Huskies (26-37, 8-19) briefly tied the game at two in the second inning, but the Stingers scored once in the third and once more in the fourth to take the lead for good. 

The entire offense chipped in for Willmar, as seven different players recorded at least one hit led by the three-hit performances of Justin Toerner (Cal State Northridge), Luke Becker (Kentucky) and Brandon Perez (USC). Toerner powered the offensive surge, scoring three times and driving in a pair with two doubles in the game. 

Toerner opened the scoring in the first with his first RBI doubling, bringing home Danny Pardo (Montevallo). Later in the first, Danny Mayer (Pacific) added an RBI single. 

After the Huskies tied the game in the second, Toerner started the eventual go-ahead rally in the bottom of the third with a one-out walk. He moved to second on a groundout by Mayer and scored on the first of two RBI singles during the night for Becker. 

Willmar then added a run in the fourth on an RBI double by Greg Lambert (Southern Illinois), two more in the seventh on a two-run double by Perez, and two more in the eighth on run-scoring hits by Toerner and Becker. 

Making just his second-start of the year, Bradley Bailey (North Alabama) came up big for the Stingers with a quality start. He tossed 6 2/3 innings and allowed three runs with five strikeouts and only one walk. 

Anthony Garza then finished the game, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless frames without allowing a run. 

Tonight’s Center for Diagnostic Imaging player of the game was Justin Toerner. 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.

Willmar will go for the series sweep of Duluth on Friday night. Friday night is Maragaritaville Night presented by Double J Concrete & Masonry featuring live music throughout the night.

The 2016 Stingers season is presented by Marcus Construction. For more coverage of the Stingers visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com.