Stingers Fall Short in Extras

John Bezdicek (Southwest Minn.-State) made the start for the Stingers as he went 5.1 innings. He allowed five runs, three of them earned, off six hits. Bezdicek walked one batter and struck out five.

The Stingers started the game off hot when they put up five runs in the first inning. Chase Stanke (Minnesota) started things off when his bases loaded single scored Boissiere. Daniel Walsh (Sac City) continue the scoring with a single of his own. King and Bosetti both crossed home on Walsh’s base hit. Two more runs scored during Noah Haupt’s at-bat when an error by the shortstop scored Stanke and Walsh. 5-0 Stingers. Justin King (Alabama) continued the scoring into the second when Baier touched home on a sacrifice fly. 6-0 Stingers.

Rochester went on to score five unanswered runs. The Honkers brought a run across in the second inning of two hits. 6-1 Stingers. The game was held scoreless through the fourth and fifth inning. Bryant Claunch (North Alabama) was first in relief for Willmar. He pitched the next 1.1 innings giving up one run off three hits. The Honkers had their biggest inning in the sixth when three runs scored off four hits. 6-5 Stingers.

Both teams scored in the seventh inning. Tyler Bosetti (Nevada) had a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Baier. That extended the Stinger lead to 7-5. Rochester got that run back in the seventh off an RBI double. 7-6 Stingers.

Aldo Fernandez (New Mexico State) was next in relief for the Stingers pitching the last 2.1 innings. Another RBI double from the Honkers tied the game up in the bottom of the eighth. 7-7 tie ball game. The Stingers had an opportunity to bring in the go ahead run in the top of the tenth but came up empty. Branden Boissiere (Arizona) was on third with one out.

The Honkers manufactured a run in the bottom of the tenth to walk the Stingers off in extras. A base hit, followed by an error, allowed the walk-off run to score. Honkers won 8-7. Game 2 will be field at Mayo Field tomorrow. First pitch 1:05pm CT.