In their return to Bill Taunton Stadium on Monday, the Willmar Stingers made another offensive statement to the rest of the Northwoods League with a 14-2 victory over the Mankato MoonDogs.
The Stingers started games out hot in the past and kept that streak going tonight with a two-run first inning helped out by four singles to keep the motion on the basepaths going.
That early lead doubled in the third inning as runs scored off of a fielder’s choice hit by Scott Anderson and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sean Rimmer.
Marcos Herrand, who was making his Stinger debut, was handling his own on the mound at the same time.
Herrand kept the MoonDogs scoreless in the first with a barehanded throw to the plate to strand multiple baserunners.
The starter would keep the MoonDogs scoreless until the fifth inning when a fielder’s choice brought in the first run for the visiting team.
Herrand would end his day after the fifth inning where he only allowed four hits and one run while adding a strikeout.
The Stingers got that run right back in the bottom half of the fifth with a double from Anderson and would add another the next inning after a fielder’s choice hit by MinnWest Technology Campus Player of the Game Gabe Swansen who made his Stinger debut.
Swansen would add onto his day in the seventh as his 2-RBI single was a major part in a six-run seventh inning for the Stingers.
In that seventh inning, the MoonDogs would walk four Stingers as part of a 10-walk day for the visiting pitching staff.
Helping to keep the MoonDogs off the scoreboard was Hemponix Relief Pitcher of the Game Cole Colleran who pitched three innings and only allowed one run which was a solo shot from Brendan Hord in the eighth inning.
The Stingers would respond back with two more in the bottom half and hold strong in the ninth to close the blowout win for six in a row as they look for the series sweep in Mankato on Tuesday.
For more coverage of the Stingers, visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com.
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