Northwoods League: Stingers pile on the runs in win
Aug. 13—WILLMAR — After scoring just one run on Thursday night, the Willmar Stingers' offense was back in familiar territory on Friday.
Hosting the Duluth Huskies at Bill Taunton Stadium, Willmar scored double-digit runs for the 20th time this season in an 11-1 victory.
The Stingers are 19-1 in games they've scored in double figures.
Kyle Payne got the scoring surge going in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run — his second of the game — to left field. The No. 9 hitter in the lineup on Friday, Payne finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Payne is a sophomore from Northwest Nazarene University.
Josh Fitzgerald followed up with an RBI single. Drey Dirksen completed the fourth with a two-run double to right field.
Dalton Pearson, Fitzgerald and Graysen Tarlow were each 1-for-3 with a pair of runs for the Stingers. Jake Entrekin also scored twice in the victory.
Willmar starter Seth Miller got the win, improving his record to 2-0. The junior from Augustana University by way of Blaine had eight strikeouts with four hits and three walks allowed over six innings.
The Stingers and Huskies face off in the regular-season finale at 7:05 p.m. Saturday back at Bill Taunton Stadium. Then on 5:05 p.m. Sunday, Willmar hosts the St. Cloud Rox for Game 1 of a best-of-three series to open the Northwoods League playoffs.
Duluth 000 000 100-1 8 1
Willmar 002 500 04x-11 7 1
Hitting — Duluth: Joe Vos 1-5 2b, Jonathan Vastine 1-3 bb-2, Devin Hurdle 1-4, Jared Mettam 1-3 bb, Eddie Satisky 2-3 r hbp, Cam Frederick 1-3 hbp, Jeremy Keller 1-4 rbi ... Willmar: Dalton Pearson 1-3 2b r-2 bb-2 sb, Josh Fitzgerald 1-3 r-2 rbi hbp-2 sb, Graysen Tarlow 1-3 r-2 rbi bb-2, Drey Dirksen 1-3 2b rbi-2 bb, Kyle Payne 3-3 hr-2 r-3 rbi-4 hbp sb-2, Nick Terrell 0-4 rbi bb, Kole Krier 0-0 rbi bb
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — Duluth: Jonathan Horn (L, 0-1) 4-6-7-7-5-4, Tyler Moniz-Witten 1-1-0-0-0-1, Isaiah Piscitello 1-0-0-0-1-1, Mason Burns 1-0-0-0-0-1, Michael Sarhaat 1-0-4-4-4-1 ... Willmar: Seth Miller (W, 2-0) 6-4-0-0-3-8, Andrew Gustafson 2-4-1-1-1-2, Brian Baker 1-0-0-0-1-3
