(Photo Courtesy: Lyle Ripplinger)
Written By: Cody Shook, Larks Broadcaster
MANKATO, MN– The Bismarck Larks took an early 5-1 lead but were unable to make it stick as the Mankato MoonDogs came alive in innings 5-8 and eventually took the game 9-6. The Larks have dropped three straight games and are now 36-31-1 overall and 11-20-1 in the second half.
Carson Bartels stepped into the batter’s box to lead off the game and he did something that no Lark has done all season, and that was hit a leadoff home run to give the Larks and early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Larks that lead didn’t last long as the Mankato leadoff man hit a triple down the right field line and then the next batter hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1.
The Larks didn’t stop there though, in the top of the 2nd inning, Bismarck put together a rally scoring three runs. Bartels drove in two with a double in the gap that one hopped the wall. Taking the 4-1 lead after two innings, Dominic Arias settled in on the mound for the Larks, not allowing another run to score till the bottom of the 5th inning.
Ripken Reyes got in on the action in the top of the 4th inning with a single up the middle scoring Jack Feely to take a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, a three run home run off the bat of Kyle MacDonald brought the MoonDogs closer.
In the top of the 6th inning, the Larks would add their final run of the game and take a 6-4 lead.
The MoonDogs scored two runs in the 6th, two runs in the 7th, and one run in the 8th inning to go on top 9-6 and dominate pitching coming out of the bullpen shut down the Larks in the back half of the game.
The Larks lost 9-6 and are now 36-31-1 on the season and 11-20-1 in the second half. The Larks will finish the remainder of the regular season schedule starting later today against the La Crosse Loggers starting at 7:05. 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.
