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Published On: July 11th, 2014

MANKATO-Minn. The Mankato MoonDogs struggled to stop Duluth offensively Thursday night and the Huskies scored early and often, taking a 10-4 win at Franklin Rogers Park in game one of a two game series in front of a season best crowd of 1590.

MoonDogs starting pitcher Taylor Elman, who has had a strong season so far (4-0 record coming into the game) did not have his best stuff on the mound, giving up six runs, five earned on seven hits including a home run through five complete innings. Duluth got things started early in the top of the first, scoring a pair runs off singles from Eric Peterson and Michael Tinsley. 

Mankato was able to get a run back in the bottom of the first on a Peter Maris single to center field but that was as close as they would come to a lead in the game as the Huskies scored three more in the third. Keach Ballard led off the inning with a single to right center field and the Huskies rolled from there, as three more hitters reached base in a row with a walk, single, and 2 RBI double from Michael Tinsley to really dagger the MoonDogs spirits.

Matt Wilson came on to relieve Elman in the sixth but didn’t fare any better, allowing four Huskie runs in the sixth, all earned in just 0.2 innings of work. Duluth finished the night with ten runs on eleven hits while the MoonDogs managed four runs on eight hits. One bright spot of the night for Mankato was Ridge Smith, who continues to hit the ball well, going two for three with double in the second and a solo home run in the sixth.

With the loss, the MoonDogs record falls to 5-5 in the Northwoods League north division second half standings. The Duluth Huskies improve to 5-4, two games out of first place (Eau Claire). The MoonDogs will be back in action tomorrow night at Franklin Rogers Park to try and even up the series vs Duluth with first pitch at 7:05pm. Fans who can’t make it to the game can listen to the radio broadcast on AM1230 The Fan Mankato with radio voice of the team Josh Horton.

The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. 

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