Big Sticks get back on track with shutout win over Sodbusters

Jul. 22—DICKINSON — There's nothing like coming home. The Badlands Big Sticks won a crucial game versus the streaking Hastings (Neb.) Sodbusters on Friday, July 21 in front of a welcoming crowd at Dakota Community Bank and Trust Ballpark, happy to see the team take the shutout, 8-0, in the first game of the final home series of the 2023 regular season. The Big Sticks are now 4-0 against the Sodbusters, and each game counts with the Astoria Field squad sitting in third place in the Independence League at 28-19 on the season and nine games remaining on the regular-season schedule.

In the first inning, the Big Sticks loaded the bases but couldn't push a run across the plate. But the breakthrough came in the second frame as they brought the Astoria Crowd to their feet with a 2-run inning, as left-fielder Cam Yuran walked and Harrison Waxley moved him to third on a hit-and-run single. Matthew Lewis drove Yuran home and the Big Sticks again loaded the bases on Dickinson native Troy Berg's second hit-by-pitch of the game. Centerfielder Keenan Proctor walked Waxley home for a 2-0 lead, but the threat was ended in a strikeout, stranding another 3 baserunners for the second-straight inning.

In the end those 2 runs were all the Big Sticks would need in the game, but they never let up and scored another 2 runs in the fourth inning with Proctor singling home Dickinson State University shortstop Balas Buckmaster — who had walked to lead off the inning — and Joe Osborn scored Matthew Lewis on a groundout.

With 4 insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh on a 2-out rally, the Big Sticks again worked their magic as catcher Royce Vandine scored on a walk to Berg with the bases loaded for a 5-0 lead, and then Proctor ripped a 3-run triple to right on the next at-bat that scored Waxley, Lewis and Berg to close out the scoring in the 8-0 shutout.

The Sodbusters came into the game on a three-game winning streak, but Big Sticks pitching was on cruise-control as starting righthander Michael Getzinger scattered 4 hits on the night in 6.1 innings of work with a pair of walks and 5 strikeouts. The relief battery of Hunter Smith and Brennan Haman took over the rest of the way and held the Sodbusters to a lone hit in the final 2.2 frames.

Proctor ended up 2-for-3 on the night with 5 RBI and a pair of walks with a stolen base, while Berg took advantage of being hit-by-pitches twice while walking a couple of times to score a run and swipe a pair of bags in the process. Meanwhile, Waxley went 2-for-4 with 2 runs and 2 stolen bases and right-fielder Lewis scored twice with an RBI.

The Big Sticks will host the Sodbusters (13-32) for the rest of the weekend, with games on Saturday, July 22 at 6:20 p.m. and the Sunday matinee at 4:20 p.m. From there, the 'Sticks head out on the road to Hastings from Tuesday, July 25 through the 27th and then close out their season at the Oahe (SD) Zap from Friday July 28 through the 30th. The Independence league championship series will be from Monday, August 1 through the 7th, with game schedules and times yet to be determined.

For more information about the Badlands Big Sticks baseball team, please read The Dickinson Press and/or visit

https://www.badlandsbigsticks.com/

for schedule and ticket availability.

Box Score

SODS 000 000 000 — 0 5 1

STIX 020 200 04x — 8 5 1

Batting

3B — Proctor. TB — Proctor 4, Waxley 2, Lewis 1. HBP — Berg 2. SB — Berg 2, Waxley 2, Proctor.

Pitching

Getzinger (W) — 6.1IP, 4H, 0R, 0ER, 2BB, 5K

Smith — 1.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 0K

Haman — 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K