The Minot Hot Tots ended their second series this season against the Willmar Stingers on Friday night. Friday was the last night that the Stingers will play the Hot Tots at Corbett Field this season.

The game started out rough for the Hot Tots. With Braden Booth pitching in the first inning, the Stingers scored twice before the end of the top.

Hot Tots’ TJ Stottlemyre and Pavlos Piperakis started the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles, but the team was not able to take advantage and the inning ended 2-0 for the Stingers with a double play.

Minot was able to keep the Stingers from widening the gap in the top of the second. Minot’s Christian Stratis was able to steal third on John Simecek’s at bat as Will Smoot stole second. Simecek was able to drive a grounder over second base into center field, letting Stratis and Smoot run home to tie the game 2-2.

Another hit into center field from outfielder Henry Allen brings in a third run, giving Minot the lead at the end of the second inning 3-2.

The Singers were able to score another run in the top of the third, but a line-drive out ended the top of the inning short. Minot responded in kind with a run of their own as Simecek brought home Max Ortega to make the score 4-3 at the end of the third.

The Stingers were able to earn another run in the top of the fourth before Booth was switched out for Fordham on bases loaded. Fordham wasn’t on the mound long before the Stingers were able to clear the bases in a single hit, bringing the score to 7-4 before the top of the inning ended.

The Hot Tots were shut out of the fourth inning without scoring another run. Neither team was able to score in the fifth inning, and the Stingers were not able to score in the sixth either.

The Hot Tots spent the sixth inning fighting their way back to a tie game. Stottlemyre once again found himself on base, this time after being hit on his first pitch of the inning. Allen also found himself on base after being walked when Ortega stepped into the batters’ box. A double to right field from Ortega allowed Stottlemyre to score and brought Allen to third.

Stratis hit a fly ball that was caught out, but a dropped throw home allowed Allen safely home and saw Ortega make it home as well, bringing the score to 7-7. Smoot was thrown out during his at-bat, ending the inning with a tied game.

Both teams held on defensibly through the seventh and eighth inning with neither scoring a single run. The Stingers were able to pick up another run in the top of the ninth bringing the score to 8-7. A line drive by Charlie Kalbrener brought him to first with one out on the board as the Hot Tots were back at the top of their line-up. Kalbrener was able to steal second during Allen’s at-bat and brought him into scoring position. Allen rocketed a line drive into center field for his second RBI of the ninth, bringing Kalbrener into home to make it a tie game.

Matt Toomey hit a line drive into center field, bringing himself to first and Allen to second, putting the walk-off run in position. Unfortunately, a strike out for Ortega cut the inning short, bringing the game to extra innings with a score of 8-8 at deadline.

Check Monday’s paper for final results.