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Beetles' Blasts Top Willmar

July 4, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Alexandria Beetles News Release


Alexandria, MN - Ben Moore hit a pair of two-run homeruns, Ryan Padilla hit a three-run homerun, and the Alexandria Beetles (13-22) held off the Willmar Stingers (20-15) in the first-half finale on Wednesday afternoon 8-7.

Playing a July 4th matinee, every batter in the two starting lineups, save Dillon Haupt, had at least one hit and the teams combined for 29 hits, 17 of which came in the first three innings.

What looked like a first-to-fifteen shootout in the early innings settled into a battle of the bullpens with Alexandria coming from behind one night after losing a 6-5 lead late.

Michael Suchy and Corben Green delivered a pair of two-out hits in the first to put the Stingers ahead 2-0 early off Alexandria starter Michael Reed.

But Alexandria came right back in the bottom of the inning with six straight hits off Jacob Cage. With one out, Tanner Vavra singled to left and Moore followed with his first homer of the game out to center on a payoff pitch.

The Beetles were not close to finished. Matt Beaty, Josh Guerra, Dylan Raper and Ryan Padilla singled, Raper's coming on a bunt that drove in Beaty and extended the leftfielder's hitting streak to 14.

The lead lasted all of two batters as Kenny Roberts singled to lead off the second and Max Kuhn homered to the same spot as Moore. A two-out RBI single by Suchy put the Stingers up 6-3.

That remained the score until the fifth when with two outs off Kody Gorden, who had retired eight of the first nine he had faced, Guerra walked and Raper singled on a bunt to the shortstop. Padilla followed with a no-doubt-about-it shot to right-center, his first bomb since June 19, tying the game.

Alexandria broke the stalemate in the sixth off Brian Kaye making his first appearance for the Stingers. Matt Lowenstein, who finished with a team-high three hits, doubled to left and with one out, Moore hit his team-leading fifth homer out to right center.

A double, single and error in the eighth inning off Alex Guilford halved the deficit for the Stingers, but Anthony Bazzani earned a four-out save, his sixth of the season, pitching out of a second-and-third jam in the eighth and retiring the side in order in the ninth.

The Beetles begin the second half of the season on Thursday hosting St. Cloud at 7:05 CDT.

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