(Photo Courtesy: Lyle Ripplinger)
Written By: Cody Shook, Larks Broadcaster
MANKATO, MN– The Bismarck Larks start the second half with a 0-1 record and fall to 25-12 on the season after coming up short 9-4 against the Mankato Moondogs. A thunderstorm rolled through town two hours before first pitch, so neither team was able to take pregame batting practice and the Larks bats never really came alive in this afternoon’s game.
Joey Filosa started on the mound for the Larks and he pitched five innings and gave up three earned runs while allowing eight hits and striking out four batters. This was Filosa’s second start of the year for the Larks and he would go home with the loss after a tough outing against a solid hitting team.
Tristen Carranza was a man on a mission in today’s game as he accounted for three of the Larks four runs. He hit a solo home run in the top of the 2nd inning and again in the top of the 6th inning. He also drove in Carson Bartels in the top of the 3rd inning and at the time, that gave the Larks a 3-1 lead.
Brandon Barna broke out of a dry spell as he started in right field and hit two doubles, but he was stranded on second base both times. Tristen Hudson started at shortstop and walked four times but was never able to come around to score.
The Larks left seven runners on base over the course of the game and nobody was able to give the lineup the spark that they needed. The Larks also struck out 12 times which is a number they haven’t seen in a while because they’ve been working on putting the ball in play early in counts and not falling behind at the plate.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, the Moondogs were able to add to their 5-4 lead by pushing across four runs to make it a 9-4 game and out of reach for the Larks.
The Larks lost 9-4 and are now 25-12 on the season and 0-1 in the second half. The Larks will be back in action tomorrow night when they finish this two game road series against the Mankato Moondogs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Catch all the action on http://mixlr.com/larksbaseball/.
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The Bismarck Larks are a proud affiliate of the Northwoods League, the proven leader in development of elite college baseball players. The Larks mission is to use FUN to make a difference in the lives of our families, businesses, players, and communities we serve. This is accomplished with a commitment to putting fans first and providing high quality family entertainment at affordable prices. In 2017, the Larks sold out 27 of their 36 home games in Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, home of Dakota Community Bank and Trust Field, and were named the Northwoods League’s Organization of the Year.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 190 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
