Kari Gibb/MDN Minot Hot Tots catcher, Lucas Pringle (34) a junior at Charleston Southern University celebrates a home run in the bottom of the second inning against the Badlands Big Sticks on Sunday, June 30, at Corbett Field

The Minot Hot Tots enjoyed some time in their own beds for the past five days with two games hosting the Mankato MoonDogs and two against the visiting Badlands Big Sticks as well. The Hot Tots ended the four game stretch with a 3-1 record and will hit the road today for two games in Dickinson against the Big Sticks.

Hot Tots 16, Badlands Big Sticks 4

The bats came to life for the Hot Tots on Sunday afternoon, June 30, at Corbett Field. Minot did the bulk of the damage at the bottom of the second inning when two home runs helped build a 6-0 lead. The Big Sticks would respond at the top of the third with two runs to narrow the gap. The Tots would post three runs at the bottom of the fourth, three more at the bottom of the fifth and four runs at the bottom of the sixth enroute to the 16-4 win.

Evan Dempsey started the action with a triple at the bottom of the second. Two batters later, Lucas Pringle took the third pitch over the right field fence for the 2-0 lead with one out. Tristan Moore was walked as the next batter. Daden Parker was walked next. With two out, Jonah Shields singled to score Moore.

Anthony Potestio stepped to the plate with runners on third and first and two out. With a full three-two count, Potestio found the right fence for the second home run of the inning and scored three more runs for the 6-0 lead.

At the bottom of the fourth inning, Caden Parker singled to start and Wyatt Reginato was walked. Shields singled to score Parker. Two batters and one double play, two outs later, Adam Berghult doubled to left field to score Reginato. Dempsey singled to center to score Berghult for the three runs.

At the bottom of the fifth inning, with one out, Parker hit a double and scored when Reginato doubled again to center field. Reginato would score when Shields singled next. Shields stole second base and scored when Berghult hit a sacrifice fly for the three runs in the inning.

At the bottom of the sixth inning, Xavier Esquer and Pringle were walked when Parker stepped to the plate. On his first pitch, he hit the third home run of the game to right field. All three runners scored. Reginato andShields each singled next and Reginato scored when Potestio doubled to right field.

Minot was 19-for-42 at the plate with one error as a team. Parker was 3-for-4 batting with three RBIs. Shields and Potestio were each 3-for-6 at the plate with seven RBIs between them. Pringle and Reginato were 2-for-4 batting while Dempsey was 2-for-5 as well. Every Hot Tot player had at least one hit in the game.

Ayden Sauerbrei pitched five and two-third innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three batters and tallied four strikeouts for the win. Drew Maust pitched two and one-third innings and allowed one run on one hit. Ray Keane pitched one inning and allowed one hit in relief.

Badlands was 9-for-35 batting with one error as a team. Dawson Wells was 2-for-3 at the plate while Zach Selfon and Nathan Martinez were each 2-for-4 as well. Landon Kiefer pitched two innings and allowed six runs on four hits and allowed two home runs. Jack Soares pitched two innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Mitchell Mussler pitched one and one-third innings and allowed one run on one hit. TJ Spitdowski pitched two and two-third innings and allowed no runs on two hits in relief.

Badlands Big Sticks 8,

Hot Tots 3

The Badlands Big Sticks made the trip from Dickinson to Minot to face the Hot Tots for two games. In game one, the Big Sticks started the scoring with four runs at the top of the fourth inning. It took two innings before the Hot Tots were able to answer with two runs at the bottom of the fifth inning of play. Badlands would answer at the top of the eighth inning with three more runs before both teams posted a run each in the ninth inning of play for the Big Sticks 8-3 win.

Minot was 6-for-32 at the plate with error free team play. Jonah Shields and Tristan Moore were each 2-for-4 batting. Adam Berghult and Elias Fiddler each added a hit in the game.

Luke Krouse pitched three innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and walked two batters with two strikeouts. Craig Schmich pitched three innings and allowed no runs and two hits. Griffin Shearon pitched three innings and allowed four runs on four hits, walked two batters, tallied two strikeouts and allowed one home run in the game.

Badlands were 13-for-39 batting with one error as a team. Adam Haber was 3-for-4 at the plate. Evan Applewick and Marcus Romero were 2-for-4 with Romero adding three RBIs. Zach Selfon was 2-for-5 with an RBI as well.

Sam Nitzke pitched five and two-third innings and allowed two hits on five runs, recorded five strikeouts and allowed one home run. Dylan Cortes pitched two and one-third innings and allowed no runs on one hit. Jackson Horras pitched one inning and allowed one run and no hits in relief.

Mankato MoonDogs 11, Hot Tots 7

Tristan Moore and Cody Grebeck hit home runs in a game that the Mankato MoonDogs built an 11-2 lead in by the top of the sixth inning and never let Minot do more than narrow the gap. The Hot Tots would narrow that gap with two runs at the bottom of the sixth and two more at the bottom of the seventh innings but would run out of scoring with the final run at the bottom of the eighth inning of play.

Minot was 10-for-35 at the plate with one error as a team. Moore was 3-for-4 batting with two RBIs and scored three runs in addition to the homer. Jonah Sheilds and Grebeck each had one hit and two RBIs while Anthony Potestio, Xavier Esquer, Lucas Pringle, Caden Parker and Wyatt Reginato each added a hit in the game.

The Hot Tots pitched by committee. Hudson Yarbrough pitched one and one-third innings and allowed six runs on five hits, walked one batter, struck out two batters and gave up the only home run to the MoonDogs in the first inning. Nic Luna pitched two and two-third innings and allowed four runs- none earned- on five hits. He walked two batters and had one strikeout. Will Smith pitched one inning and allowed one run on two hits. Rhys Francis pitched two innings and allowed just one hit. Evan Dempsey pitched the final two innings and allowed no runs, no hits, walked one batter and four strikeouts in relief.

Mankato was 13-for-39 batting and played error free ball. Jake Duer was 3-for-4, Ben Robichaux was 3-for-5 and Casey Sorg was 3-for-6 at the plate in the win. Tanner Shumanski pitched five innings and allowed four runs on nine hits. He also walked two batters and had two strikeouts and allowed one home run. Bryan Garrett pitched one and two-thirds inning and allowed two runs on no hits and walked two batters. Bryce Crabb pitched two and one-third innings and allowed one run on one hit, walked two batters and two strikeouts in addition to the Grebeck home run in the bottom of the eighth inning of play.