MANKATO — Tuesday afternoon’s Northwoods League baseball game between the Mankato MoonDogs and the Willmar Stingers looked like it was following a familiar script until a five-run, seventh-inning burst and some ninth-inning heroics enabled the ‘Dogs to claim a 7-6 win in Game 1 of a doubleheader before a Day Care Day crowd of 1,504 at ISG Field.
In Game 2, Willmar hung on to get a 4-3 win, securing the split. Connor Cuff had two hits and an RBI for Mankato in the loss.
Willmar (26-18 overall, 9-3 in the second half) lost the first two meetings of the season against the MoonDogs (21-25, 6-4) before reeling off six straight triumphs heading into Game 1 of the pivotal division series doubleheader. In fact, the Stingers had registered four straight victories in the current six-game matchup after Mankato began the second half with four consecutive wins.
“We’ve played four pretty good baseball games against them but just didn’t find a way to win any of them,” Mankato manager Danny Kneeland said after Game 1. “Obviously, this was another close one, but we found a way to break through and get the win. We had a lot of good at-bats with guys on base but we either hit the ball right at somebody or guys were trying to do too much instead of being simplified.
“When you lose games like that it can be deflating, so this win was huge. I give the guys credit for staying with it and for trusting themselves and each other. This is a fun group and we can still have a lot of fun in the second half. … They believe that and now we just have to keep it rolling one game at a time.”
In Game 1, Willmar scored a run in the top of the second and two more in the third frame to take a 3-0 lead off Mankato starter Evan Hughes. Joey Craig’s sacrifice fly ball drove in the initial run while catcher Ryan Taymann shot a two-run single through the hole to plate the next two. Tayman, shortstop Colton Griffin and center fielder Armani Guzman laced two hits apiece for the Stingers.
Mankato trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth off Stingers’ stater Hunter Possehl when walks to catcher Brandon Vlcko and first baseman Alonso Reyes set up second baseman Josey Williamson’s RBI single and shortstop Corey Nunez’ run-scoring infield out. Williamson, a sophomore from Alabama, ripped a trio of hits for the MoonDogs and scored a run in the fifth-inning surge.
“We finally got them,” Williamson said. “We’ve got a great group of guys who keep it fun and keep it alive. I feel that in the past we haven’t always got our best swings off and today we made a stand to get our A swings off and do some damage early.”
After Guzman’s RBI single off reliever Braden Grimm (Minnesota State) made it 4-2, right fielder Collin Jennings sliced a two-run double down the left-field line to trigger the seventh-inning rally. Williamson’s single was the only other hit in the frame as the Stingers committed two errors, walked one and hit a batter. Grimm picked up the win, allowing one run on four hits while fanning five and walking one over 2 1/3 innings.
“We were swinging early in the count to try and do damage,” Jennings said. “It was a high outside fastball and I was able to go the other way. Things haven’t really gone our way so I think we’re ready to make a run. This is a group of really good people and I am really enjoying my time here.”
After working a 1-2-3 eighth inning, left-hander Hagen Tijerina gave up two hits and a hit batter to begin the final frame. Right-hander Ian Culver entered the contest to register a pair of strikeouts and an infield out to end things.
“Being up by two we had a little wiggle room so I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself,” Culver said. “Once I got that first guy out, I just wanted to go after the hitters. I got one strikeout on a curve ball and the other on a cutter. My off-speed was working good and I was able to set it up with a hard fastball. Knowing that they are aggressive, you can get them to chase. … Going right at them is going to be your best option.”