WILLMAR - Willmar stayed with Brainerd into the late innings but the Warriors four-run seventh all but put the wraps on a 9-3 Central Lakes Conference win on Friday at Bill Taunton Stadium.
The Cardinals trailed by two heading into the sixth inning but Brainerd brought home two runs in the sixth and then broke it open in the seventh.
Tony McCleary, Austin Smith and Adam Nibaur drove in the Cardinals’ runs.
The Cardinals are set to play New London-Spicer in the Baseball Food Drive game on Monday at Taunton, with the junior varsity game at 5 p.m. and the varsity game beginning at 7 p.m.
Brainerd 9, Willmar 3
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Brainerd 101 012 4 - 9 12 3
Willmar 010 001 1 - 3 5 4
HITTING – Brainerd: Connor Gessell 2-4 r-3, Nate DeChaine 2-4 rbi-4, Tony Miller 2-5 rbi-2 r-2, Drew Sannes 2-3 rbi r-2 … Willmar: Austin Smith 1-4 rbi, Tyler Stegeman 1-3 r sb-2, Tony McCleary 1-2 2b rbi r, Adam Nibaur 1-2 rbi, Cole Christensen 1-3
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Brainerd: Hayden Bukowski (W) 5.2-3-2-1-1-6 … Willmar: Cole Hage (L) 6.2-11-9-6-5-1, Stegeman 0.1-1-0-0-0-0
