WILLMAR -- Bryan Willson's one-out walkoff single gave Willmar a 2-1 victory over Brainerd in the opener Wednesday, then the Stingers were unable to complete a sweep despite four pitchers combining on a no-hitter as the Lunkers prevailed 4-2 in a Northwoods League doubleheader.
The split allowed the Stingers to gain a tie with St. Cloud for first place in the Northwoods League North Division.
Willmar now stands 18-12 in the second-half race with five games remaining. St. Cloud dropped to 18-12 with a 5-1 loss to Mankato on Wednesday. Rochester won the first half and will face the second-half winner in a best-of-three series next week.
In the opener, Willmar put together its winning rally when Jared Norris singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Serna. Anthony Bemboom then singled before Willson plated Norris with the winning run on a 1-2 count.
Bemboom's first home run of the summer gave the Stingers a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Brainerd tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single by T.J. Berge.
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Jayson Huett (6-2) hurled three shutout innings of relief for the win. He allowed only one hit. Roy Metter started and gave up three hits and one run over four innings.
In the finale, Jeff Barto (1-4), Daniel Zapata, Logan Birr and Jacob Barnes all combined to no-hit the Lunkers. But five walks, three errors and three wild pitches led to the three unearned Lunker runs.
NOTES: Rebecca Knuteson of New London won the right to a free lease of the Stingers' car for a year following a drawing. Nine names were drawn out and each was given a panic button to push with the one that sounded the horn being the winner.
