MANKATO - Kenny Roberts produced his second multi-homer game of the season to lead Willmar to a 7-2 victory over the Mankato MoonDogs and moved the Stingers into first place in the Northwoods League's second-half standings at Franklin Rogers Park Saturday night.
Roberts leads the Northwoods League will 11 home runs and Corben Green extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a second-inning single.
The Stingers return home to play the Waterloo Bucks at Bill Taunton Stadium today at 6:05 p.m. It's Circus Night sponsored by the Willmar Area Shrine Club.
With the win, the Stingers are now 7-3 in the second half of the season to stand in first place, one game ahead of the MoonDogs, who fell to 6-4 with the loss.
With two outs and two on in the third inning, Roberts hit a three-run to left field to break a 2-2 tie and give the Stingers their first lead of the game. Roberts' 10th home run of the year scored Forrestt Allday and Michael Suchy, who both reached on walks in the frame. Allday walked twice in the contest and now ranks fifth all-time for walks in a single season in Northwoods League history with 53.
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Roberts added his second home run in the eighth when he hit a fly ball more than 400 feet, well beyond the left-centerfield fence, for his league-leading 11th homer of the year to make the final score 7-2. Roberts now has 33 RBIs this year, 24 of which have come with two outs in an inning.
Zach Benson added to the home run total with a solo shot to left field to lead off the third inning. It was Benson's second homer of the season. Willmar has now hit a league-leading 43 home runs this year and is on pace to break the Northwoods League record of 59, set in 1997.
Anthony Consiglio earned his first victory of the season after going 6.2 innings, his longest outing of the season. Consiglio struck out five while walking three and he allowed only two runs on five hits to move to 1-2 this year. Andre Wheeler retired all four batters he faced in relief, and Scott Lieser pitched a perfect ninth inning to seal the victory.
In the fourth inning, Max Kuhn singled to left field to score Suchy for his third RBI in the last two games and tie the game, 2-2.
Green had an infield single in the second inning to extend his franchise-record hitting streak to 19 games.
