Northwoods League: Stingers shut down MoonDogs

Tom Elliott, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minn.
·4 min read

Jul. 11—MANKATO — The Willmar Stingers used strong pitching and a big seventh inning to beat the Mankato MoonDogs 8-1 on Sunday before 1,270 fans at ISG Field.

Jack Zigan started and got the win to improve to 2-0. He went six innings, allowing five hits and one earned run. He struck out two and walked two. It was a nice victory for him. He's a right-hander from Eden Prairie who pitches for Minnesota State-Mankato, which plays its home games at ISG Field.

Trent Novotny went the final three innings to get his first save. He allowed one hit, struck out five and walked one. He's a left-hander from Cottage Grove and the University of Minnesota.

The Stigers scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to increase their 2-1 advantage.

Willmar's top hitters were Will Hodo and Brett Bateman. Hodo, a freshman from the University of Alabama, went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run, an RBI and two walks. Bateman, a sophomore from Arden Hills and the University of Minnesota, was 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Drey Dirksen, the Willmar and Augustana University player, started at designated hitter. He was hit by a pitch and did not return.

The teams conclude their two-game series at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Willmar's Bill Taunton Stadium.

Willmar 001 100 600-8 11 0

Mankato 000 001 000-1 6 1

Hitting — Willmar: Zac Corbin 2-4 r 2b rbi-2 sb, Joey Walls 1-4 r-2 2b bb, Will Hodo 2-3 r 2b-2 r bi bb-2, Drey Dirksen 0-0 hbp, Scott Anderson 1-4 r rbi bb, Aidan Byrne 1-3 rbi sf sb, Will Busch 1-4 r-2 rbi bb, Nick Terrell 1-4 rbb, Brett Bateman 2-5 rbi ... Mankato: Kai Roberts 1-3 bb, John Newman Jr. 0-3 r bb, Sean Ross 2-4, Simon Sherry 1-4 rbi, Orlando Salinas 0-3 bb, Dustin Crenshaw 1-3, Angelo Peraza 0-2 hbpP

itching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Willmar: Jack Zigan (W, 2-0) 6-5-1-1-2-2, Tucker Novotny (Sv-1) 3-1-0-0-1-5 ... Mankato: Luke Young (L, 2-1) 4.1-5-2-2-3-2, Alfredo Frey 1.2-0-0-0-0-2, Dalton Mesaris 0.2-4-6-6-2-1, Kyle Osterhage 0-2-0-0-0-0, Taisei Yahiro 2.1-0-0-0-1-3

The Stingers picked up a couple of unearned runs in the top of the 10th inning, then held off a Buck relay in the bottom half of the inning before 962 fans at Riverfront Stadium.

Waterloo scored once in the ninth to send it into extra innings, then got a run in the 10th. The tying run was on third when John Bzedick recorded the final out to improve his record to 2-1.

Andrew Baumgart, the left-hander from Willmar and North Dakota State, went the first 4- 2/3 innings, striking out three and walking no one. He allowed six hits and two earned runs.

Drew Dirksen, normally one of the Stingers' catchers, threw a scoreless inning in relief. He's from Willmar and Augustana University.

Wilmar 000 010 220 2-7 6 2

Waterloo 003 000 101 1-6 9 2

Hitting — Willmar: Joey Walls 0-5 r, Josh Fitzgerald 0-3 r bb-2, Will Busch 0-2 bb-2, Brett Bateman 0-0 r bb, Dalton Pearson 0-4 r bb sb, JT Navyac 0-2 r bb, Will Hodo 0-0 RBI sf, Zac Corbin 1-1 rbi-2, Nick Terrell 2-5 r-2 2b rbi, Jake Entrekin 1-4 rbi, Will Safford 2-3 2b-2 rbi-2 hbp ... Waterloo: Aaron Juimori 2-4 r hbp sac, Levi Usher 1-6 r, Karl Koerper 1-6 r 2b rbi-3, Raphael Pelletier 2-4 rbi bb, Ryan Grabosch 1-5 r-2, Cameron Cromer 1-4 2b rbi hbp, Andrew Rantz 1-4, Ryan Guardino 0-0 hbp, Liam Critchett 0-3 rbi sf, Mason Dobie 0-3 r bb-2

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Willmar: Andrew Baumgart 4.2-6-3-2-0-3, Dylan Matela 2.1-3-1-1-1-5, Drey Dirksen 1-0-0-0-2-1, John Bezdicek (W, 2-1) 2-0-2-0-1-3 ... Waterloo: Frankie Cresta 5-3-1-1-1-3, Matteo Sollecito 1-0-0-0-3-0, Blake Benson 1-2-2-2-0-0, Aaron Treloar 1-0-2-2-2-0, Anthony Pron (L, 1-5) 2-1-2-1-1-1