Good things happen to those who wait.
The Stingers offense waited six innings Saturday night. Then with one swing of the bat, Justin Thaxton gave the Willmar pitching staff the only offense it needed.
Thaxton’s two-run home run in the top of the seventh helped the Stingers (2-1) to a 5-1 victory over the host Eau Claire Express in yet another strong pitching performance.
That pitching highlighted most of the game with Tyler Hanson (Minnesota) impressing in his first start of the season. Hanson allowed just one hit in his five innings of work and stranded five on base, including working out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth. With the bases full and just one out in the inning, Hanson induced a ground ball back to the mound, which he threw to home to force out the lead runner. Catcher Zach Taylor then relayed to first for a double play to end the inning.
Eau Claire (1-4) finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out triple followed by a single to make it 1-0.
But the Stingers answered immediately. With one out in the top of the seventh, Billy Quirke reached first on a bunt single. Then came Thaxton, who jumped on a 2-1 pitch and crushed it over the right field fence for what proved to be the only offense the bullpen needed.
The offense tacked on three more runs just for good measure and Jake Sale, Dakota Belter and Brady Anderson combined to retire the final eight batters of the night in the second straight win for the Stingers.
The 2015 season is presented by Marcus Construction. For more coverage of the Stingers visit the West Central Tribune’s website at www.wctrib.com.
Tonight’s Center for Diagnostic Imaging player of the game was Justin Thaxton. 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.
The Willmar Stingers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.willmarstingers.com.
