Thunder Bay, ON – Brett Clark struck out a season high eight but would get a no decision as the MoonDogs lost to the Border Cats at Port Arthur Stadium on Tuesday night, 1-0.
The Border Cats wouldn’t score the go-ahead run until the bottom of the eighth inning, when a two-out sacrifice fly by Jared James drove in Matt Batten to make the score 1-0. The MoonDogs would get the tying run on base in the top of the ninth, when Paul Panaccione would for Mankato. He would be stranded at first base for the remainder of the inning in the loss.
Brett Clark (3-0) turned in a gem against the Thunder Bay Border Cats (17-18), throwing seven innings of shutout ball while holding the Border Cats to just five hits and issuing one walk for the Mankato MoonDogs (18-18). Clark struck out a season high eight batters in the game, bringing his total to 30 on the season.
Jeremy Charles (2-1) matched up against Clark tremendously well, allowing just one MoonDog hit to go along with two walks and striking out six. Charles took a no-hitter into the sixth inning until Catcher Kevin Hall would strike a ball into center field to break up the bid.
The MoonDogs will return to Port Arthur Stadium on Wednesday afternoon for game two of the three game series with Grant Hamilton (3-0) on the mound. He will face off against Kyle Von Ruden for the Border Cats. First pitch will be at 1:05 PM EST, 12:05 PM Central.
“The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website”
