We are part of The Trust Project.
ROCHESTER — For a second consecutive game the Stingers gave up the lead and went into extra innings against Rochester, but this time they came out on top to split the series Friday evening at Mayo Field.
Behind Great Plains All-Star Joey Walls, who started the show and ended it, Willmar defeated the Honkers, 10-7 in 11 innings.
Walls, the 2022 Northwoods League Individual Home Run Champion at the all-star game, hit two home runs in the win to bring his total on the year to seven. He went 2-for-4, adding five RBIs, three runs and two walks.
A junior who will join California State University-Long Beach’s dugout next year, Walls hit a two-run home run in the third inning to put the Stingers on the scoreboard first and cemented Willmar’s victory with a two-out, three-run home run to top off a six-run 11th inning.
The Honkers battled until the very end, scoring three runs in the 11th inning, before their comeback effort fell short.
ADVERTISEMENT
Eight Willmar batters recorded a hit. Aidan Byrne led the way, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, one run and a walk. Scott Anderson was the third and final hitter to have a multi-hit game, tallying two hits in five at-bats with a double, an RBI and a run.
Seth Miller earned his second save this season for the Stingers. He came in relief for Dylan Matela in the 11th inning with one out, where he put out Nate Chester and struck out Joe Longo.
The Stingers (9-3 second half; 30-16) are 9-1 in their last 10 games. They will host the Waterloo Bucks at 7:05 p.m. Saturday and 5:05 p.m. Sunday at Bill Taunton Stadium.
Willmar 10, Rochester 7
Willmar 002 002 000 06-10 12 1
Rochester 001 002 001 03-7 9 2
Hitting - Willmar: Christian Dicochea 1-4 rbi, Zac Corbin 1-6 r, Joey Walls 2-4 bb-2 hr-2 r-3 rbi-5, Drey Dirksen 1-5 r, Dalton Pearson 0-1 r, Scott Anderson 2-5 r rbi, Aidan Byrne 3-4 bb r rbi, Josh Fitzgerald 0-4 bb r, Will Safford 1-3 bb, Brett Bateman 1-1 r rbi… Rochester: Theo Hardy 0-4 rbi bb-2, Nico Regino 1-4 r bb-2, Dario Gomez 3-6 r-2 rbi sb, Will Asby 0-2 bb hbp, Alex Pimentel 4-6 2b rbi-3 sb, Zachary Meddings 0-4 r bb hbp sb, Nate Chester 1-4 r bb-2, Alex Ritzer 0-4 r-2 bb sb
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Willmar: Logan Samuels 5.1-4-3-1-4-6, Tucker Novotny 3-1-0-0-2-3, Dylan Matela (W) 2-4-4-3-4-2, Seth Miller (Sv) 0.2-0-0-0-0-1… Rochester: Nathan Hansen 6-7-4-4-1-2, Frank Craska 2-1-0-0-1-1, Kevin Dowdell 1-0-0-0-1-0, Jacob Mead 1-0-0-0-1-0, Cole Mahlum (L) 0.2-4-6-5-2-1, AJ Campbell 0.1-0-0-0-0-1
