MANKATO-Minn. The Mankato MoonDogs had plenty of offense but came up a bit short against the Alexandria Blue Anchors on Saturday night at Franklin Rogers, dropping the third game of a four game series 13-11.
The Blue Anchors did much of their damage against MoonDogs starting pitcher Mitchell Traver in the top of the first inning. Traver gave up five earned runs on five hits including a double and a pair of walks. Traver. took the loss in 0.2 innings of work.
After getting one run back in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1, the Blue Anchors put three more runs on the board in the top of the fourth, starting with a lead-off walk by catcher Lukas Hermanson. Cam Duzenack and Rickey Sanchez walked as well to load the bases and Jeremy Hyde made the MoonDogs pay with a single to shallow right field, scoring Duzenack and Sanchez easily.
In the bottom of the fifth the MoonDogs picked up three runs thanks to a deep fly ball to center field of the bat of Tanner Rockwell, going for a double and scoring Patrick Massoni and Brett Synek.
The normally very strong MoonDogs bullpen couldn’t find a rhythm though as they allowed three more runs in the sixth, and single runs in the seventh and eighth to bring the Blue Anchors total to 13.
A late MoonDogs comeback try was not enough in the end, but they were able to put up four in the bottom of the seventh thanks in large part to three walks, a Blue Anchors error, and a two RBI single from catcher Dalton DeLeon. They also managed a run in the eighth and two more in the ninth to get within two of tying the game. With runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, Peter Maris flew out lazily to end the game on a fly out.
The MoonDogs now fall to a record of (12-10) in the second half north division standings. Alexandria improves to (8-14). Now 1-2 in the four game series with Alexandria, Mankato will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at Knute Nelson Memorial Park for first pitch at 1:05pm.
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. For more information, visit www.mankatomoondogs.com.
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