WILLMAR, Minn – The Minot Hot Tots (14-28) battled until the very end in a close finish game one of their July 10 double header at the Willmar Stingers (28-14). The Hot Tots won game one of the four game series by a 6-2 score against the Stingers on Tuesday, July 9, to get back in the win column. The hosting team would need extra effort in extra innings to even the series at 1-1 with game two.

Willmar 9,

Minot 8

The Stingers would need extra innings to win the game by a 9-8 scoreline.The Stingers scored the first run of game one in the bottom of the third inning by way of Andrew Sojka solo home run to right field. Stingers led 1-0 at the end of the third inning.

The Hot Tots would find their way on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning, scoring five runs to take a 5-1 lead. Caid Bergthold scoring on Jack Matousek single to center field allowed the Hot Tots to even things at 1-1. The Hot Tots took a 3-1 lead with Cody Grebeck double to center field, allowing Matousek and Brant Baughcum to score two runs. Grebeck scored run number four on Trae Cassidy put out, while Xavier Esquer scored the fifth run onBlake Penso single to right field.

The Hot Tots would add two runs to their lead in the top of the fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead. Bergthold scored his second run of the game off a bases loaded walk, advancing baughcum to first base. Matousek scored run number seven on Nick Alonso put out.

The game’s next run came in the top of the seventh inning when Alonso scored on a bases-loaded walk to Cassidy. Minot led 8-1 at the end of the seventh inning. The odds for a win in game two looked good at that point.

The Stingers scored runs in a barrage in the bottom of the eighth inning. Dariel Osoria scored the Stingers second run of the game off Max Buettenabck single past second base. Sojka scored his second run of the game with the score now standing 8-3 Minot lead. Buettenback also scored on a bases-loaded walk that advanced Liam Bushey to first base. Jessada Brown scored on Nico Senese sacrifice fly. Minot led 8-5 at the end of the eighth inning.

The odds for the win dropped significantly from the seventh inning to the eighth inning of play.

The Stingers scored three more runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score at 8-8. Sojka scored run number seven on a bases-loaded, hit by pitch play that advanced Brown to first base. Jack Sapnier also scored on a bases loaded, hit by pitch play that advanced Colin Hynek to first base.

The Hot Tots batted 9-for-34 and made an error in the game. Stokes scored one run. Brown batted 1-for-4, scored one run and had two RBI. Hynek batted 1-for-4 and had one RBI. Bushey batted 1-for-4, had two RBI and walked once. Senese scored a run and had a RBI. Murray Jr batted 1-for-4 and had a RBI. Osoria batted 1-for-1, scored a run and walked once.

Arn Kaden pitched seven innings, allowed five hits, four runs, walke one and struck out three batters. Drew Maust pitched less than an inning and walked two. Thomas Leiden pitched one inning, allowed three hits, two runs, walked three and struck out one batter. Tanner Mueller pitched one inning, allowed one hit and scored three runs.

The Stingers batted 10-for-40 and had three errors in the game. Esquer scored a run and walked twice. Cassidy batted 1-for-5, had two RBI and walked once. Penso batted 1-for-5 and walked once. Adrian Dominguez batted 1-for-5 and walked once. Bergthold batted 3-for-5, scored two runs and walked once. Matousek batted 1-for-4, scored two runs. Had one RBI and walked once. Baughcum batted 1-for-4, scored one run and had one RBI. Alonso batted 1-for-5, scored one run and had one Home run. Grebeck batted 1-for-4, scored one run and had two RBI.

Ryan Wentz pitched four innings, allowed five hits, walked two and struck out two batters. Anthony Steinhoff pitched three innings, allowed three hits, three runs, walked four and struck out three batters. Samuel Schofield pitched two innings, allowed two hits and struck out one batter. Brett Barfield pitched one inning and struck out one batter.

Minot 6, Willmar 2

The Hot Tots made a splash in the first inning, scoring five runs out of the gate. Anthony Potestio scored the game’s first run on Trae Cassidy put out to put the Hot Tots up 1-0. Xavier Esquer and Adam Berghult would later score on Elias Fiddler single to right field to make it 3-0. Fiddler scored run number four on Abe Affholter double to left field. Jack Matousek scored an unearned run off Nick Alonso single to shortstop. Hot Led 5-0 at the end of the first.

The Stingers clawed back a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jack Spanier scored on Andrew Sojka put out.

The Hot Tots would get their run back in the top of the sixth inning, as Alonso scored on Cody Grebeck double to right field.

The Stingers managed to score another run in the bottom of the eighth inning but proved to be too little too late. Max Buettenabck scored on Colin Hynek single to center field.

The Hot Tots batted 9-for-36 and had two errors in the game .Potestio batted 1-for-3, scored a run and walked twice. Esquer batted 1-for-5 and scored a run. Berghult scored a run and walked once. Cassidy had a RBI. Fiddler batted 1-for-4, scored a run and had two RBI. Matousek scored a run. Affholter batted 1-for-4 and had a RBI. Alonso batted 3-for-4, scored a run and had an RBI. Grebeck batted 2-for-4 and had a RBI.

Dale Fry pitched three innings, allowed two hits and walked one. Griffin Webb pitched three innings, allowed one hit , one run and struck out three batters. Jacob Mallozzi pitched two innings, allowed two hits, one run and walked one. Ashton Jenkons pitched one inning and walked one.