ST. CLOUD, MN.- Looking to follow a 16-run performance in the opening game of the series, the Willmar Stingers struggled to do so against the rival St. Cloud Rox as they fell 8-7 to close the two-game set on Tuesday.
For the second straight game, both teams scored in the first inning as the Stingers picked up right where they left off last night with Andrew Sojka scoring on a wild pitch.
That early Stingers lead wouldn’t last for long with the Rox first tying the game after capitalizing on an error then quickly breaking that tie after a Davis Cop single.
St. Cloud built on that lead in the third as Carson Keithley delivered a clutch single which brought home two runs and put the Rox up 4-1.
Another two runs would score for the Rox an inning later with a Jackson Hauge double starting it off and a wild pitch finishing the fourth with an increased St. Cloud lead.
The Stingers had been held hitless up to this point but would quickly break that streak in the fifth in a big way as they started their push back into the game.
A walk forced in a run before back-to-back singles from Zach Stroh and MinnWest Technology Campus Player of the Game Kasten Furr each brought a run home to cut the St. Cloud lead to 6-4.
Just as that momentum was building in the Stingers dugout, mother mature brought it to a brief stop.
The game would go into an hour-long weather delay in the bottom of the sixth as the Rox were threatening to take some of those runs right back.
When the game was able to resume, the Rox did get a run back as Hemponix Relief Pitcher of the Game Jonathan Zayas held the damage to just one.
St. Cloud added another an inning later to go back up 8-4 after the seventh but the Stingers again had another rally left in them.
After Sojka started the eighth off with a single, he would come around to score on a double from Stone Miyao for the first tally of the frame.
The Stingers would also have good fortune on their side as they also benefited from a pair of Rox errors which led to two more runs on the scoreboard and the deficit was cut to one.
Furr led the top of the ninth being hit by a pitch and made his way over to second quickly after but that’s where the magic stopped.
Each of the next three batters would all be unable to move him over and the rally fell just short as the Stingers and Rox split the home-and-home series.
The Stingers are now set to begin an eight-game homestand starting on Wednesday against the Minot Hot Tots.
For more coverage of the Stingers, visit the West Central Tribune online at www.wctrib.com.
The 2023 season is presented by J.D. Kreps Financial Group, empowering investors with powerful financial advice.
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The Willmar Stingers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 325 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.willmarstingers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Stingers as your favorite team.
