Prep Baseball: Willmar tops Alexandria for third straight win, 5-2

WILLMAR -- Willmar scored five runs in the fourth inning to beat Alexandria 5-2 in a Central Lakes Conference baseball game Thursday.

The game was scoreless through the first three innings. Willmar then had two outs with runners at first and second base in the fourth. Austin Adamson hit a two-run double to left field, Jake Rambow hit a run-scoring single to left and Dean Stier followed with a triple to center that gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead.

Willmar (4-9, 6-12) starting pitcher Andrew Bangen threw four scoreless innings to start the game, then Alex's Parker Giroux hit a two-run home run to left field to narrow the gap to 5-2. Bangen pitched the sixth without allowing a run, then Stier pitched the seventh for the save, getting a strikeout, a groundout and a fly out.

Bangen allowed seven hits, struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

Rambow and Stier had two hits each for Willmar.

Tyler Iverson had two hits for Alexandria (5-6, 8-9).

Willmar 5, Alexandria 2

Alex (5-6, 8-9) 000 020 0 -- 2 7 2

Willmar (4-9, 6-12) 000 500 x -- 5 7 0

HITTING - Alexandria: Eric Carlsen 1-for-4; Parker Giroux 1-for-3, 2-run HR, 2 rbi; Colin Erickson 1-for-3; Tyler Iverson 2-for-3; Lucas Betterman 1-for-3; Mark Whiting 1-for-3, 2b ... Willmar: Austin Adamson 1-for-3, 2b, 2 rbi; Jake Rambow 2-for-4, rbi; Dean Stier 2-for-3, 3b, rbi; Jake Damhof 1-for-3; Adam Fagerstrom 1-for-1

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Alexandria: Cody Larson (L) 3Xc-6-5-0-2-3; A.J. Anderson 2Zc-0-0-0-0-1 ... Willmar: Andrew Bangen (W) 6-7-2-2-0-4; Dean Stier (S) 1-0-0-0-0-1