EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – The Willmar pitchers allowed only one run for the Eau Claire Express Saturday evening, winning 7-1 and moving up one game on the division leaders.

The game ended a nine-game winning streak for the Express, who scored their only run in the first inning.

Connor Herd (Mercer) made the start and finished three innings of work, giving up only one hit. He left the game after the third, as scheduled, with a 4-1 lead.

Corey Binger (UN-Omaha) then came in to pitch the fourth inning. He held the Express to six blank frames while striking out only one batter and walking one.

Binger allowed his defense to work behind him, cleaning up after their error in the sixth inning with a 6-4-3 double play.

At the plate, the Stingers started the game with three hits in the first inning. Danny Rodriguez (Bethune-Cookman) hit a double to drive in Marcus Still (New Mexico State) to get the Stingers their original lead.

Three innings later, Harrison Schnurbusch (Central Missouri) laced a two-run triple to the right-center field fence to bring in another pair of runs for Willmar.

Rodriguez finished the day with two doubles and two walks, scoring one of the Stingers' seven runs.

Nolan Bumstead (CS-Northridge) went 3-for-5. It was his third multi-hit game in a row.

Caleb Ledbetter (Montevallo) also had two hits of his own. He has now had a hit in eight of his last 10 games. 

Today's Center for Diagnostic Imaging player of the game was Corey Binger. 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.

Binger now has a 1.90 ERA in 19 innings this season.

The Stingers move to 15-8 on the second half and 33-26 overall. They now are tied with the Eau Claire Express in second place, but no games behind the Mankato MoonDogs. The MoonDogs are atop the division based on their superior win percentage, despite two less games completed.

Tomorrow's game will feature Joe Vranesic (Kent State) on the mound. Vranesic has won two of his last three starts and will carry an ERA of 2.90 to the hill tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

Tickets for all future home games are available online at WillmarStingers.com or by calling the Stingers' ticket office at 320-222-2010. 

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.