WILLMAR, Minn. – In his third start of the season, Joe Vranesic (Kent State) led his team to a four-run victory and a series split with the Border Cats. 

Vranesic worked efficiently through his first three innings, throwing only 32 pitches and giving up one hit. Meanwhile, the Stingers tacked up runs in the first and second innings to provide Vranesic with some early run support. 

At the end of his outing, the Stingers were up 5-1, a score that would not change for the remainder of the evening.

He faced a total of 25 batters and struck out five of them, giving up only four hits in 5 2/3 innings on the mound.

When he exited, Braxton Johns took over and struck out his man to strand three Border Cat runners on and keep the Stingers ahead by four.

Today's Center for Diagnostic Imaging player of the game was Joe Vranesic. 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.

It was Vranesic's first victory of the season. 

At the plate, Willmar was led by Luke Becker (Kentucky) who got aboard three times with two walks and a single. 

Brady Shockey (USC) drove in the fourth and fifth runs of the day in the Stingers' three-run fifth inning, putting the game out of reach for Thunder Bay against Willmar's lights-out bullpen.

The Stingers move to 3-3 on the second half and 21-21 overall. Tomorrow, they go to La Crosse to begin a home-and-home series with the Loggers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The 2017 Stingers season is presented by Marcus Construction. For more coverage of the Stingers, visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com.