WILLMAR, Minn.—After an offensive show in game one in Mankato, the Stingers played to their pitching strengths in game two and gave Mankato a little taste of its own medicine with a 3-2 win at Bill Taunton Stadium to take the three-game series to the decisive third game.

Mankato started the game with a run in the first inning, the second straight night it had tallied a run in the first inning. But Willmar returned the favor much the same way the MoonDogs have done time and again this season against the Stingers. Despite being scored on first, Willmar came out of the gates hot in the first inning, and Sean Beesley led off the inning with a single. Frankie Rios then followed right after with a booming double to the gap in right center to plate Beesley and knot the game at one.

The back and forth affair in the early going continued as the MoonDogs took a one-run lead again the the third inning. Mankato didn't tally a hit in the inning but two walks and a hit batter allowed Mankato to push Peter Maris across following a sacrifice fly by Levi Scott, making it 2-1.

But the resilient Willmar bunch rallied in the same inning for the second straight night and answered with two runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good. Rios led the way with a infield single to the hole at short to start the rally. Reagan Fowler reached right after on an error by Maris at short and Nick Rivera singled to load the bases. After the MoonDogs recorded the first out, Brian Pruett had a sacrifice fly to tie the game at two. Two more hits in the inning by Brett Barbier and Max Ayoub gave the Stingers their third run, which would be the final tally of the contest. 

The big story of the game was the starting pitching for Willmar, and between starter AJ Puckett and Matt Geislinger out of the bullpen, they two held Mankato without a hit over the final seven innings. Puckett finished with seven strikeouts and Geislinger locked down the save in three dazzling innings of relief.

Willmar returns home tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. against Mankato for the third and final game of the series.

The 2014 season is presented by Charter. For more coverage of the Stingers visit www.wctrib.com.

Tonight’s Center for Diagnostic Imaging player of the game was AJ Puckett. 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.