Duluth, MN — The Mankato MoonDogs faced off against the Duluth Huskies at Wade Stadium on Thursday night looking to start a win streak. Not only did they accomplish what they had set out to do, but they accomplished it in impressive fashion. Mankato pounded out 12 hits in a 5-0 shutout of Duluth.

Jordan Washam (LA Tech) broke the game open in the fifth inning, driving a double off the right field wall with the bases loaded against Payton Robinson (Southeastern Louisianna). Washam's line-drive would not only clear the bases, but chase Robinson from the game. Washam finished 2-for-5 with three RBI on the night. 

Nate Jones (Northwestern State) pitched lights out again, hurling 7.0 innings of shutout baseball. Jones final line as he earned his fourth win of the season would be 5 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Jones now has 29 strikeouts on the season to lead the MoonDogs.

In the sixth inning, Mankato added two additional runs thanks to the bats of Drew Fearing (North Dakota State) and David Metzgar (Cal State Bakersfield). Each would add RBI singles with two outs to run the score up to it's final, 5-0. Metzgar lead the MoonDogs in hits, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Fearing provided a perfect 2-for-2 in the nine-hole for the 'Dogs, replacing John Fallon (Harvard) at third base. 

The MoonDogs will close their road series with the Huskies out tomorrow, with first pitch at 6:35 PM. The MoonDogs will throw Ricky Digrugilliers against Duluth's Ryan Tapani. 

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The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd 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 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.mankatomoondogs.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the MoonDogs as your favorite team.