With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, every game becomes more and more critical for the Minot Honeybees as they look to tighten their grip on one of two playoff spots up for grabs in the five-team league.

Minot entered Monday’s contest with Madison (Wisc.) four games back of the Nightmares for the top spot in the standings, but – more importantly – 3.5 games in front of Mankato (Minn.) for the final playoff spot.

After Monday’s game, Minot saw the gap behind Madison grow to five games and the gap in front of Mankato shrink to 2.5 games following an 11-2 loss to the Night Mares. Mankato blanked Wausau 8-0.

The Honeybees fell behind early, allowing four runs in the first inning, and never recovered. They surrendered runs in all but the second inning as eight Madison starters collected a hit and all nine reached base.

Madison loaded the bases with two outs in the first and proceeded to string together three consecutive singles to drive in four runs. Tia Durst, Luciana Moreno and Danielle Lucey provided the RBIs. Lucey drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to give Madison a 5-0 lead.

Bella Cimino got the Honeybees on the board in the fourth, scoring on an infield fly rule. Minot would tack on another run in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Trinity Gregg.

The Night Mares countered with two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Madison scratched across a pair of runs in the fifth via bases-loaded walks. Durst singled home Hilary Blomberg and Emma Kavanagh, and Ava Carroll drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.

Durst, Blomberg and Kisbel Vizcaya had multi-hit games for the Night Mares. Durst led the team with a 3-RBI night.

Carly Cummings produced Minot’s lone extra-base hit, a triple to lead off the fifth. Cummings leads the team with a .425 batting average.

Andrea Jaskowiak went the distance on the mound for Madison, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out one and walking three.

Jackie Albrecht suffered the loss for the Honeybees, pulled after allowing eight runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. She struck out one, but walked eight. Ashleigh Heiderscheit pitched the final 1 1/3 innings.

Minot and Madison meet again today in Madison at 5:05 p.m. The game precedes the Northwoods League All-Star Game Home Run Challenge set to take place at 7:05 p.m. Minot’s Taylor Chillingworth is among the field of 18 participants.