WILLMAR, Minn. – Mankato saw six of its first seven batters reach base as part of a three-run first inning and never looked back in a 10-4 defeat for the Willmar Stingers on Opening Night at Bill Taunton Stadium Wednesday night.

Seven different Stingers had hits in the game, including a 2-for-3 performance by Michael Suchy (Florida Gulf Coast), but Willmar stranded nine men on base in the contest and only had one baserunner after the sixth inning.

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Steven Brault (Regis) picked up a two-out RBI when he singled to score Forrestt Allday (Central Arkansas) as the team’s first run of the 2012 season. In the fifth inning, Willmar had its leadoff man reach base for the first time after Andre Wheeler (Texas Tech) earned a walk. Suchy followed with a single to give the Stingers two on with nobody out. The next two batters – Logan Allen (Occidental College) and Allday – brought them home with back-to-back RBI groundouts to make the score 7-3.

Willmar’s best chance to complete a comeback came in the sixth inning when the Stingers pulled within three, 7-4, and loaded the bases with nobody out. Karl Sorensen (St. Cloud State), Greg Fettes (Kentucky), Wheeler and Suchy reeled off four consecutive singles, with Suchy’s base hit giving him an RBI and putting him on first as the potential tying run. However, Zach Hall came out of the bullpen for Mankato to retire three consecutive batters and leave all three of his inherited runners on base. Hall remained on the mound for the rest of the game to earn the save.

The Stingers will look to split the home-opening series when they play Mankato Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Bill Taunton Stadium.

The 2012 season is presented by Charter. For more information on your Willmar Stingers be sure to visit the West Central Tribune at www.wctrib.com.